QUESTIONABLE SOURCE
A questionable source exhibits one or more of the following: extreme bias, consistent promotion of propaganda/conspiracies, poor or no sourcing to credible information, a complete lack of transparency, and/or is fake news. Fake News is the deliberate attempt to publish hoaxes and/or disinformation for the purpose of profit or influence (Learn More). Sources listed in the Questionable Category may be very untrustworthy and should be fact-checked on a per article basis. Please note sources on this list are not considered fake news unless specifically written in the reasoning section for that source. See all Questionable sources.
- Overall, we rate the Korean Central News Agency Questionable due to consistently being one-sided, providing exaggerated coverage lacking in facts, and extreme promotion of government propaganda.
Detailed Report
Reasoning: Propaganda, Conspiracy, Nationalism, Censorship
Bias Rating: EXTREME LEFT
Factual Reporting: VERY LOW
Country: North Korea
Press Freedom Rating: TOTAL OPPRESSION
Media Type: News Agency
Traffic/Popularity: Medium Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: LOW CREDIBILITY
History
Launched in 1946, The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) is the state-run news agency of North Korea. KCNA works under the Korean Central Broadcasting Committee. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) provides the only source of information for all media outlets in North Korea. Kim Jong-un has been the Chairman of the Workers’ Party of Korea since 2012. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) is headquartered in Pyongyang, North Korea. The Associated Press has a permanent bureau in Pyongyang since 2012 and Agence France-Press since 2016.
The website is blocked in the United States.
Read our profile on North Korean Media and Government.
Funded by / Ownership
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) is owned by The State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (SAC), which replaced the military-oriented National Defense Commission (NDC). Kim Jong-un is the current chairman of the SAC.
Analysis / Bias
Reporters Without Borders ranks North Korea 180 out of 180 in the 2022 World Press Freedom Index (last place), and according to a Mic article: “The KCNA has reported that North Korea’s former leader, Kim Jong Il, was beloved worldwide and that North Korea is the envy of the world.” Further, they report that “North Koreans are also told that Kim is a style icon and that he invented the hamburger” and “The KNCA reported that North Korea won the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Spain won that year.”
In review, most of The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) content is dedicated to the activities of Kim Jong-un, such as “Kim Jong Un Praised in Nepal” and typically, they use emotionally loaded language and publish poorly sourced articles such as this one: “U.S. Aegis Destroyer Deployed around Korean Peninsula.” In this article, they source their claim with a vague statement without a link or a source’s name: “Foreign press says that the U.S. deployment of the destroyer is aimed to intensify military pressure upon the DPRK.”
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) employs negative language toward the nations that are seen as critical of North Korea, such as in this quote: “The article, authored by the notorious reptile journalist, is run through with lies told by the scum of society, and it was carried by the Tokyo head office of the newspaper.”
Failed Fact Checks
- The media of North Korea only reports favorably on the state. Period.
Overall, we rate the Korean Central News Agency Questionable due to consistently being one-sided, providing exaggerated coverage lacking in facts, and extreme promotion of government propaganda. (M. Huitsing 6/12/2018) Updated (05/03/2022)
Source: http://www.kcna.kp/
Last Updated on May 30, 2023 by Media Bias Fact Check
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