In a bid to expand its reach, the channel unveiled Noticiero El Salvador in 2020—the platform serves as a news-centric website complemented by active social media channels, as announced by the government.

Similar programming is broadcast by Radio El Salvador, a radio station founded in 1926 and a pioneer in Central American radio broadcasting. It was originally known as the AQM.

Media assets

Television: Canal 10, Noticiero SV

Radio: Radio El Salvador

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

Canal 10 and Radio El Salvador fall under the purview of the Communications Department within the Presidency. Historically, Canal 10 had been overseen by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education; however, there is currently no legal apparatus that explicitly governs media as part of the National Public Media System.

The broadcasting landscape in El Salvador is regulated by the General Superintendency of Electricity and Telecommunications, with the Telecommunications Act serving as the cornerstone of legal oversight for the media sector. Nevertheless, these regulatory frameworks predominantly focus on private and community outlets, leaving public media somewhat in uncharted territory.

Source of funding and budget

In El Salvador, funding for public media is supplied by the Communications Department under the Presidency of the Republic. Official records reveal that the public media’s 2020 budget was approximately US$ 3.3m (the Salvadoran economy is dollarized).

In February 2021, the nation’s legislative body made headlines by requesting the Attorney General to investigate the financial operations of Canal 10 and Diario El Salvador, citing potential infringements of the Budget Law. By contrast, the government’s allocation for public media in 2021 saw a reduction, totaling US$ 2.6m.

Editorial independence

Media entities under the helm of the SINAMP unapologetically lean in favor of the government. The official newscast Noticiero El Salvador, which premiered on Channel 10 in October 2020, appears purpose-built to disparage opposition figures while championing the administration’s narratives. Simultaneously broadcast on National Radio, the program has been fervently promoted by President Nayib Bukele himself, who notably referred to it on Twitter, a social network, as the government’s informational powerhouse.

Since Bukele’s rise to office, critical journalists in public media have faced employment terminations, further painting a troubling picture of press freedom under his tenure.

Presently, there is no legal framework in El Salvador guaranteeing the editorial independence of SINAMP. While the El Salvador Journalists Association (APES) upholds a code of ethics intended to govern all media outlets nationwide, SINAMP lacks an impartial body or mechanism to uphold, assess, or enforce its adherence to professional editorial autonomy.

April 2025

Media assets

Publishing: Diaro El Salvador

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

Operated and overseen by the publishing house El Diario Nacional (EDN), Diario El Salvador maintains a tight-knit affiliation with the President’s Press Office. The government is notably transparent about its ties to the newspaper. On October 7, 2020, President Nayib Bukele took to Twitter to unveil the launch of Diario El Salvador, describing it as a state-owned enterprise.

As per the most recent figures, Diario El Salvador boasts a circulation of 10,000 copies and maintains a workforce of 70 individuals.

Source of funding and budget

Diario El Salvador sustains its operations through a combination of copy sales and government funding, encompassing both subsidies and advertising revenue. With a price tag of $0.25 per copy, the publication is touted as a state-owned entity. However, its lack of financial transparency complicates efforts to audit its operations. Its ownership structure is obscured by a network of “subsidiaries”—state-owned companies within the energy sector—a setup that seemingly skirts public scrutiny, as revealed by an inquiry conducted by Factum Magazine.

According to Factum’s analysis—which analyzed the volume of state ads—Diario El Salvador appears to rely predominantly on government funding. An investigative report uncovered that between 2020 and 2023, the newspaper secured contracts totaling US$ 1.98m from 98 government entities, primarily for advertisements and subscriptions. During this same period, the publication further augmented its finances with over US$ 5.4m in loans obtained from state-owned companies.

Editorial independence

The editorial stance of Diario El Salvador is notably aligned with President Bukele’s administration. The publication articulates its mission as follows: “Diario El Salvador emerges as a serious, complex and novel information offer where we will give voice to those who have been excluded from the narrative of the rest of the media (…) the newspaper will not live off the street sales, which are entirely intended for vendors and distributors.”

A content analysis undertaken for this report in April 2023, and later in May 2024, analyzed articles published on its online platform. Findings revealed an editorial bias marked by overwhelming commendation of President Bukele, alongside persistent critique of his adversaries. Intriguingly, not a shred of dissent or critical reflection regarding Bukele or his government appears across the site’s materials.

An earlier investigation by Factum, similarly characterized the publication as a propaganda arm for Bukele. Factum’s study, assessing nearly 3,000 articles published between October 2020 and November 2021, pointed toward an entrenched pattern of partisanship.

Further analyses suggest that Diario El Salvador maintains exceedingly close ties to Nuevas Ideas, President Bukele’s political party.

Notably, no domestic legislation has been uncovered guaranteeing the editorial independence of Diario El Salvador.Although the El Salvador Journalists Association (APES) has a code of ethics intended to apply universally across media outlets in the country, Diario El Salvador lacks external mechanisms to ensure or evaluate its editorial neutrality. Consequently, its independence remains vulnerable to scrutiny.

April 2025

Media assets

Radio: Radio La Chevere 100.9 FM, Radio ABC 100.1 FM, La Urbana 94.9 FM, Full FM 99.7 FM, Super Estrella 94.1 FM, Radio Coco 94.9 FM (Sonsonate), Radio Del Dios Eterno 105.3 FM (Sonsonate), Radio Soda Stereo 105.3 FM (Santa Ana), Radio FX 105.3 FM (Ahuachapán), Radio La Caliente 90.1 FM (San Miguel), Radio Dial 96.5 FM (Usulután), Radio Galaxia 94.9 FM (La Union)

State Media Matrix Typology

Captured Public or State Managed/Owned Media (CaPu)

Ownership and governance

Grupo Samix, currently administered by the National Council on Assets Management (CONAB), a governmental entity, previously belonged to ex-Salvadoran president Elías Antonio Saca. The entity came under state control in 2018 following Saca’s confession to misappropriating public funds for personal gain, channeling them into this enterprise and others, primarily within the communications sector. Saca was eventually sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Source of funding and budget

The operational funding for Grupo Samix has predominantly stemmed from advertising revenue. Nevertheless, local journalists interviewed for this report in November 2024 said that, historically, the group heavily depended on government financing—a reliance that persists to this day.

Notably, under the proprietorship of former Salvadoran president Elias Antonio Saca, the company became embroiled in money laundering activities, which ultimately led to Saca’s incarceration. Investigators uncovered that Saca redirected funds from the Presidential budget to Grupo Samix under the guise of payments for advertising services. Reportedly, some US$ 17m was funneled through these illicit transactions.

Upon taking control of the company in 2018, the National Council on Assets Management (CONAB) claimed strides had been made in curbing the group’s operating deficits. However, CONAB has not disclosed financial information concerning Samix in recent years, leaving uncertainties about the extent to which state financing factors into the organization’s overall revenue stream.

Editorial independence

When CONAB assumed control of the Samix group, state representatives pledged to uphold freedom of expression, but those assurances have fallen short. Journalists working in El Salvador, interviewed for this report in November 2024, revealed that the editorial direction of Samix’s outlets is heavily steered by state influence.

Those who fail to tow the line and adhere to management’s editorial mandates reportedly run the risk of losing their positions. Former employees of Samix’s radio stations have disclosed that within the organization, journalists face significant discouragement from voicing their true opinions or criticizing figures connected to government institutions—a clear signal that independent voices are under duress.

April 2025

Media assets

Publishing: La Pagina

Radio: Orbita FM

Television: Orbita TV

State Media Matrix Typology

Captured Public or State Managed/Owned Media (CaPu)

Ownership and governance

Grupo Órbita, now under the stewardship of the National Council on Assets Management (CONAB), a governmental body in El Salvador, was previously owned by Jorge Hernández, a prominent journalist. Hernández fell from grace in 2017 after being incarcerated on charges of money laundering, a scandal tracing back to Elías Antonio Saca’s presidency (2004-2009). As a consequence of his legal troubles, Hernández’s assets, including his media conglomerate, were handed over to CONAB for administration.

Source of funding and budget

CONAB refrains from disclosing financial details concerning Grupo Orbita. According to Salvadoran journalists interviewed for this report in November 2024, the organization secures revenue through advertising sales while also benefiting from state subsidies, though the exact balance between these funding streams remains unknown.

Editorial independence

Interviews conducted with journalists from El Salvador for this report in November 2024 unveiled that those employed by the group’s various media outlets are not afforded the freedom to operate autonomously. Instead, they are tasked with toeing the line to provide favorable coverage of political authorities, including state institutions and high-ranking officials.

April 2025

Media assets

Television: Televisión Legislativa Salvadoreña

Radio: Radio Legislativa

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

These legislative media entities are entirely subjected to parliamentary control. Their editorial autonomy is compromised, as they are bound to align with the rules and stipulations imposed by legislature authorities. Operating under the Communication Directorate, their management falls squarely into the hands of the Board of Directors within El Salvador’s parliament.

Source of funding and budget

The Parliamentary radio and television outlets in El Salvador are sustained through public funding allocated by the nation’s legislature.

Editorial independence

Media affiliated with El Salvador’s legislature fall under the purview of the governing authority, directly influencing their editorial direction and coverage.

The legislative radio and television channels function in accordance with a document referred to as the Protocol for the Operation of the Legislative Assembly’s Media. This protocol establishes a pluralistic and ostensibly “proportional” Editorial Committee tasked with curating the programming for both outlets. However, it falls short of enacting regulatory measures that ensure editorial independence for these broadcasters.

April 2025