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Entity Type: Domestic State-Affiliated Media

Al Eqtisadiah

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Al Eqtisadiah is a leading Saudi daily business newspaper established on December 1, 1992, by brothers Hisham Hafiz and Mohammad Hafiz. Currently published by Saudi Research and Publishing Company, a subsidiary of Saudi Research and Marketing Group (SRMG), the publication is often dubbed “The Financial Times of Saudi Arabia.” The newspaper provides comprehensive coverage of economic and business events at domestic, regional, and international levels, featuring translated articles from major global financial publications including the Financial Times, Harvard Business Review, and INSEAD. Its target readership includes business executives, academics, and government officials throughout Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region. In 2024, Al Eqtisadiah underwent a significant transformation when SRMG approved a strategic partnership with Asharq Business with Bloomberg, creating one of the largest specialized economic media platforms in the region. Beyond its print edition, Al Eqtisadiah has expanded into broadcasting with Al Eqtisadiah TV, further cementing its position as a cornerstone of Saudi business media.

Saudi Research and Publishing Company

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Established in 1972, Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG) is a state-backed media conglomerate headquartered in Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District. As Saudi Arabia’s largest publishing enterprise, SRMG operates over 30 publications with a combined monthly reach of 172 million readers across seven languages and four continents. The group’s portfolio includes prestigious titles like Asharq Al-Awsat, Arab News, Al Eqtisadiah, and Al Majalla. Originally established as Al Madina Printing and Publishing Company in 1963, the company was renamed Saudi Printing and Packaging Company in 2007. SRMG was listed on the Saudi stock exchange (Tadawul) in May 2006. With close ties to the Saudi government, the company operates five divisions: media, international, events, research and polling, and innovation. In April 2022, SRMG announced its new headquarters in Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD). The company recorded strong financial performance in 2023, with net profits declining 14% year-on-year to SAR 559.62 million but maintaining its dominant position in Middle Eastern media.

Vietnam Television

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Vietnam Television, operating as VTV, is Vietnam’s national state broadcaster established in 1970 with Cuban assistance. Officially tasked with “propagating the views of the Party, policies, laws of the government,” VTV runs multiple channels including news, education, entertainment, and ethnic programming. The network has faced significant controversies, including criticism from Vietnamese emigrants for its pro-communist stance, copyright infringement resulting in its YouTube channel termination in 2016, and government fines for broadcasting false information. VTV maintains 17 international bureaus and produces programming through its film production company, Vietnam Television Film Centre.

Gazprom-Media Holding

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Gazprom-Media Holding is one of Russia’s largest media conglomerates, controlling nearly 20 television and radio channels plus digital platforms. Key assets include flagship channel NTV, sports network Match TV, entertainment channel TNT, and digital platforms like Rutube and PREMIER. The company also operates extensive radio networks, including Energy and Autoradio. Classified as “Captured Public/State-Managed,” Gazprom Media maintains complex state control through Gazprombank ownership, ultimately tracing to entities close to President Putin. The company’s flagship channel, NTV, has been documented by the EU’s disinformation monitoring service as running coverage that named individual European diplomats and cast them as “curators” secretly directing Russian civil society activists, implying the activists were foreign agents rather than independent actors, while the activists themselves were accused of betraying their country.

Notimex

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Notimex, formerly known as Agencia Mexicana de Noticias, was Mexico’s official state news agency until its dissolution in December 2023. Founded on August 20, 1968, to cover the Mexico City Olympics, the agency operated for over five decades under government ownership. The agency underwent reform in June 2006, changing its name and establishing what it described as “genuine editorial independence” through governance by a board with representatives from various state entities. Notimex ceased operations in June 2020 following a strike that began in February of that year. Sanjuana Martínez, appointed in March 2019, was the first woman to serve as Director-General before the Mexican Senate approved the agency’s “definitive closure” in December 2023.