Elon Musk recently initiated a media frenzy when he decided to have Twitter label NPR's accounts "state-affiliated media." NPR quickly disputed the label, stating that Twitter's decision took NPR "off guard" by labelling it the same way that it does for "propaganda outlets in Russia, China and other autocratic countries."
Never mind that NPR does indeed receive funds from the U.S. government. In response, NPR's executives decided to no longer post content it its 52 official Twitter feeds.
NPR's move started a chain reaction among other publicly-funded media organizations. PBS followed in NPR's footsteps after Twitter also labelled it government-funded media. Canada's CBC News did the same.
Elon Musk made his feelings clear regarding the NPR labeling "controversy."
Publicly-funded media, or government-funded media, isn't the norm in the United States. But, in many other parts of the world, it is.
Here are some of the most prominent publicly-funded media outlets in Asia, ranked by unique visitors per month through Meltwater and Similarweb analytics:
1. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)
The ABC is Australia's national news broadcaster. It is funded by grants from the Australian government and is run by a government-appointed board. ABC also has a divison called ABC Commercial, which is more privatized and generates additional funding for the network.
2. Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an international news organization funded by the government of Qatar. It is the largest English-speaking news source in the Middle East. Al Jazeera gained exposure in the West through its social media channel AJ+, which focuses on news and current affairs, publishing content in English, French, Spanish and Arabic.
3. China Central Television (CCTV)
CCTV is the national television broadcaster in China. Its network consists of 50 channels, broadcasting content to more than one billion viewers in six languages. It is operated by the National Radio and Television Administration which reports directly to the Chinese Communist Party's Central Propaganda Department.
4. Global Times
The Global Times is a daily tabloid newspaper under the auspices of the Chinese Communist Party's flagship newspaper, the People's Daily, commenting on international issues from a Chinese ultra-nationalistic perspective, according to Reporters Without Borders.
5. Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM)
RTM is the national broadcaster of Malaysia, funded by its government. It currently operates 6 television channels and 34 radio stations nationwide.
Due to the limitations of media analytics tools, several prominent outlets had no data linked to their online profiles. However, they shouldn't be ignored. Here are some additional noteworthy publicly-funded Asian outlets:
- Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK)
NHK, Japan's national broadcaster, was originally modeled after the BBC.
- Xinhua
Xinhua is the official state news agency in China. It publishes in multiple languages and is a channel for the distribution of information related to the Chinese government and the ruling Chinese Communist Party
- All India Radio (AIR)
AIR, also known as Akashvani, is the national public radio broadcaster of India. Akashvani is the largest radio network in the world, and one of the largest broadcasting organisations in the world in terms of the number of languages broadcast and the spectrum of socio-economic and cultural diversity it serves, according to Prasar Bharati. https://prasarbharati.gov.in/
- Korean Broadcasting System (KBS)
KBS, founded in 1927, is the national broadcaster of South Korea. KBS operates seven radio networks, ten television channels, and multiple Internet-exclusive services.
- Korean Central News Agency (KCNA)
KCNA is the state news agency of North Korea. KCNA is controlled by the Workers' Party of Korea's Propaganda and Agitation Department. In addition to Korean, it publishes news in English, Russian, Chinese, Japanese and Spanish. KCNA has correspondents in Russia, China, Cuba, Iran, India and Egypt.
Ri Chun-hee, North Korea's infamous broadcaster on state-owned KCNA.
- Bangladesh Television (BTV)
BTV is the state-owned television network of Bangladesh and the the oldest Bengali-language television network in the world. Its headquarters is in Dhaka, one of the top 10 cities in the world in terms of population and population density.
- Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV)
PTV became government-controlled following the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971. Following the network's nationalization, the government of Pakistan funded its expansion across the country. The network has been considered as a "source of major national integration" in Pakistan.
- Saudi Broadcasting Authority (SBA)
The Saudi Broadcasting Authority (SBA), formerly Saudi Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) and the Broadcasting Services of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (BSKSA), is a governmental entity of Saudi Arabia, organized under the Ministry of Media. SBA operates almost all broadcasting outlets in the Kingdom.
- Iranian Broadcasting Corporation (IRIB)
IRIB, formerly known as the National Iranian Radio and Television until the Iranian revolution of 1979, is an Iranian state-controlled media corporation that holds a monopoly of domestic radio and television services in Iran. Its head is appointed directly by the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Many of Asia's publicly-funded media outlets paved the way for alternative media to grow in the region. On a continent with extremely diverse systems of government, publicly funded media is one thing that many Asian countries share.
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