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 Rodong Sinmun a Questionable source based on Extreme Left-wing bias with the overt promotion of state propaganda and near 100% censorship of facts.
Detailed Report
Reasoning: Propaganda, Conspiracy, Nationalism, Censorship
Bias Rating: EXTREME LEFT
Factual Reporting: VERY LOW
Country: North Korea
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rating: TOTAL OPPRESSION
Media Type: Newspaper
Traffic/Popularity: Medium Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: LOW CREDIBILITY
History
Launched in 1945, Rodong Sinmun, formerly known as Chǒngro, is the newspaper of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea. It is the main national daily and acts as the party’s official mouthpiece. Kim Jong-un has been the Chairman of the Workers’ Party of Korea since 2012 and the grandson of Kim Il Sung, the first leader of North Korea from 1948 to 1994. Kim Jong-un is serving as the third and current Supreme Leader of North Korea, and he is the second child of Kim Jong-il (1941–2011). Rodong Sinmun is headquartered in Pyongyang, North Korea.
Rodong Sinmun is blocked in the United States.
Read our profile on North Korean Media and Government.
Funded by / Ownership
The Editor-in-chief of Rodong Sinmun, the organ of the Party Central Committee, is Ri Yong Sik. The central committee appoints the newspaper’s editor-in-chief in a plenary session.
Analysis / Bias
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranks North Korea 180 out of 180 countries (Last) in the 2018 World Press Freedom Index. RSF states that North Korea’s government is a “totalitarian regime that keeps its citizens in a state of ignorance.”
In review, most of its content is dedicated to leader Kim Jong-un, such as the “Supreme Leader’s Activity” section, which covers Kim Jong Un’s daily activities. Rodong Sinmun typically republishes stories from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Many of the news articles are verbatim copies of KCNA stories. For example, an article titled “Kim Jong Un Tours Singapore” appeared in KCNA and with the same headline in Rodong Sinmun. Rodong Sinmun journalists write other articles. Further, they often publish stories with emotionally loaded language, such as “Children’s Union Members Are Masters of Future of Socialist Korea.”
Editorials usually offer praise for the Songun and Juche policy. Songun refers to North Korea’s military-first policy, and Juche refers to North Korea’s ideology of self-reliance, named by founder Kim Il-sung. A few quotes from the article read “The great leader President Kim Il Sung, the red sun of Korea” and “Kim Jong Il is the prominent thinker and theoretician who developed in-depth the Juche idea, peerlessly brilliant commander of Songun and shining star of world progressive mankind.[…] the nation with his unique Songun politics and consolidated the DPRK (North Korea) to be an invincible socialist fortress.”
Another quote: “The valiant spirit and the immensely bright future of Juche Korea are inseparable from the nation-building feats of President Kim Il Sung, who provided an eternal foundation for the nation’s prosperity in his lifetime.”
Editorials also use extremely loaded language when North Korea is criticized, such as this: Hideous Provocation of Reptile Media. A quote from this article is not just emotionally loaded; it is threatening: “It is the height of evil deed that can be done only by those villains who are steeped in hostility towards the DPRK to the marrow. The NHK should clearly understand the catastrophic aftermath which its false report about the DPRK can create, and make an apology to the Korean people on its knees.”
Rodong Sinmun is far Left biased based on North Korea’s politics of being a Juche Socialist State (Communist). A BBC article from 2000 describes how difficult life is in North Korea and remains the same today. Essentially, Rodong Sinmun and all media in North Korea provide a rundown of Supreme Leader’s daily agenda, with a lot of flattery thrown in for good measure.”
Failed Fact Checks
- They only publish pro-state propaganda.
Overall, we rate Rodong Sinmun a Questionable source based on Extreme Left-wing bias with the overt promotion of state propaganda and near 100% censorship of facts. (M. Huitsing 6/12/2018) Updated (05/03/2022)
Source: http://www.rodong.rep.kp/en
Last Updated on September 28, 2023 by Media Bias Fact Check
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