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Entity Type: Domestic Media Company

Aajkaal

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Aajkaal is a Bengali-language daily newspaper founded in 1981 by Abhik Kumar Ghosh and headquartered in Kolkata, India. The broadsheet publication, owned by Aajkaal Publishers Pvt. Ltd., covers business, entertainment, politics and other subjects with what it describes as “political neutrality” and “strong principles and authentic reporting.” The newspaper includes an evening edition Sandhya Aajkaal and maintains regional editions in Siliguri and Agartala, Tripura state, in addition to its online presence. Chief Editor Gour Kishore Ghosh, described as “a veteran journalist and socialist,” helped establish the paper’s early credibility, while current Editor-in-Chief Ashok Dasgupta brings sports journalism experience. In May 2021, Aajkaal Tripura correspondent Samir Dhar was attacked by alleged ruling party supporters, marking his third such incident since 2018, prompting demands for investigation from professional associations.

Australian News Channel Pty Ltd

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Australian News Channel (ANC) is a media company that operates Sky News Australia and related channels. The company was founded in 1995, originally as a joint venture between British Sky Broadcasting, Seven Media Group, and Publishing and Broadcasting Limited (澳洲廣播出版有限公司). Sky News Australia itself launched on 19 February 1996 as Australia’s first domestically produced television news channel. The company operates several broadcasting services, including Sky News Australia, Sky News Extra, Sky News Weather Channel, Sky News Regional, and international services like Sky News New Zealand. News Corp Australia acquired the entire company in December 2016, buying out the original stakeholders who had rejected a News Corp takeover offer of A$20 million in June 2015, with the owners wanting a minimum of A$50 million. The deal was worth approximately A$20 million according to industry sources.

Fairfax Media Group

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Fairfax Media was a major Australian media conglomerate that operated newspapers, magazines, radio stations, and digital properties across Australia and New Zealand from 1841 until its acquisition by Nine Entertainment Co. in December 2018. Founded when John Fairfax purchased The Sydney Morning Herald, the company expanded to control flagship publications including The Age and The Australian Financial Review. Despite its historical significance in Australian journalism, Fairfax faced mounting financial pressures in the digital era, implementing widespread staff cuts and transitioning to paywalls before ultimately losing its independence. The company’s willingness to engage in media partnerships with Chinese state entities, including signing cooperation agreements with China Daily and China Radio International in 2016, reflected broader industry trends of seeking revenue streams amid declining traditional media revenues.

United News of Bangladesh

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United News of Bangladesh (UNB) is Bangladesh’s first fully digitalized private wire service, founded in 1988 as one of the first news agencies in South Asia. The organization claims to maintain correspondent networks across all 64 districts of Bangladesh and says it serves “over 20 million readers” locally and internationally through its principal partnership with Associated Press (AP), the world’s largest wire service. Originally serving print media subscribers, UNB has adapted to digital transformation by launching its interactive website unb.com.bd, which aggregates both domestic news from its extensive Bangladesh network and international content through its AP partnership. The agency describes itself as Bangladesh’s “most dependable and credible source of news and information,” evolving from traditional print distribution to embrace mobile and internet platforms as electronic media revolutionizes news creation and distribution in an increasingly paperless media environment.

Prothom Alo

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Prothom Alo is Bangladesh’s largest-circulation Bengali-language daily newspaper, founded November 4, 1998, and published from Dhaka by Transcom Group’s Mediastar Ltd. The newspaper claims daily readership of 6.6 million for its print edition and 7.6 million across all platforms, with its online portal described on its X profile as “the most visited Bengali website in the world.” Prothom Alo has distinguished itself through investigative reporting on acid attacks, violence against women, and campaigns against drugs and religious terrorism. The publication has faced government pressure, including the 2021 detention of senior reporter Rozina Islam under the Official Secrets Act and a 2007 cartoon controversy that resulted in a supplement ban. Sister concerns include ABC Radio FM 89.2, Prothoma Prokashon publishing house, and several magazines covering science, politics, and youth topics. The newspaper organizes Bangladesh’s Mathematics Olympiad and won the 2025 “Best in South Asia” award from the International News Media Association.

The Daily Star

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The Daily Star is Bangladesh’s largest circulating English-language daily newspaper, founded by Syed Mohammad Ali on January 14, 1991, as the country transitioned to parliamentary democracy. As of 2025, Mahfuz Anam served as editor and publisher, with the newspaper owned by Mediaworld Limited, where Transcom Group holds major shares. The BBC described it as having a “reputation for journalistic integrity and liberal and progressive views – a kind of Bangladeshi New York Times.” The publication gained popularity for outspoken coverage of politics, corruption, and foreign policy. The newspaper has faced government pressure, including suspended advertisements in 2015 and website blocking in 2018 after reporting an extrajudicial killing. Controversies include Anam’s 2016 admission on ATN News of publishing military intelligence-fed stories during 2007-2008 and Executive Editor Syed Ashfaqul Haque’s February 2024 jailing on child abuse charges following domestic worker Preeti Urang’s death.

The Dawn

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The Dawn, an English-language daily newspaper founded in 2016 and based in Juba, South Sudan’s capital, is described as “largely perceived as a pro-government newspaper” by media analysts. The publication, led by editor-in-chief Emmanuel Monychol Akop (艾曼努爾·蒙尼喬·阿科普), regularly features content from Chinese state media sources, particularly Xinhua News Agency (新華社). Recent examples include Xinhua’s December 15, 2024 commentary titled “China’s pro-growth policies deliver comfort in turbulent world,” which reported China’s transition to “moderately loose” monetary policy. Another featured piece, “CEWC a blueprint for China’s sustainable and inclusive growth in 2025,” described the Central Economic Work Conference as setting “the economic tone for 2025 amidst global uncertainties.” Sports columnist Akuot Goor contributes regularly to the newspaper. In December 2024, the newspaper’s Editor-in-Chief Emmanuel Monychol Akop was detained by suspected National Security Service officers, raising concerns about press freedom in the country.

Berliner Zeitung

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Berliner Zeitung is a daily German newspaper first published on May 21, 1945, as the first post-World War II daily in Berlin. Initially established under Soviet control in East Berlin, it became the largest newspaper in the German Democratic Republic during the Cold War era. After German reunification, ownership changed multiple times through Gruner+Jahr and Robert Maxwell (1990), Holtzbrinck (2002), Mecom Group (2005), DuMont (2009), and finally to entrepreneurs Silke and Holger Friedrich in September 2019. The paper faced controversy when Holger Friedrich acknowledged working as an informant for the Stasi under the codename “Peter Bernstein” from December 1987 to February 1989. In 2023, Friedrich further violated journalistic source protection by informing Springer CEO Mathias Döpfner about leaked information from Julian Reichelt. In October 2024, the newspaper entered into a cooperation agreement with China Media Group (中央廣播電視總台), launching “The Chinese Perspective” column featuring content from Chinese state media correspondents.

Hanoi Radio and Television

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Hanoi Radio-Television (Đài Phát thanh – Truyền hình Hà Nội), was established on October 14, 1954, as the official broadcast network of Vietnam’s capital city. According to Vietnamese government sources, regional television stations operate in major Vietnamese cities, including Hanoi, with each of Vietnam’s 61 provinces maintaining its own television channel under state oversight. The station initially operated as a fixed radio station with basic technical facilities. The network operates within Vietnam’s state media system, which is overseen by the Ministry of Information and Communication, and serves to disseminate officially approved information. Currently operating three television channels and multiple radio channels, the network represents one of Vietnam’s regional television stations within the broader state broadcasting infrastructure.