Media in Laos

The Lao term ສື່ມວນຊົນ means mass media. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MICT) oversees media, publications and film, while the Ministry of Technology and Communications (MoTC) handles information technology, telecommunications and frequencies. The Mass Media Department and the Department of Literature and Publications are involved in media and publication matters. Khaosan Pathet Lao is the official Lao News Agency. Pathet Lao, Pasason and Vientiane Mai are associated with party or state press. Vientiane Times publishes Lao- and English-language news in print and online, including a PDF subscription. Laotian Times provides English-language online reporting and has somewhat more editorial space according to Reporters Without Borders. Lao-language news media remain largely under state or party control, and no reliably documented independent Lao-language news outlet was identified in the available national research. Lao Television, including LNTV1 and LNTV3 HD, offers national news, sport, documentaries and entertainment through television, a web livestream, a video archive and YouTube. Lao National Radio provides radio and web programming in several languages. Broadcast content may include Lao, Khmu, Hmong, Vietnamese, English and French. A radio or television provider must register its frequency with the Department of Frequency and should consult the provincial technology and communications division. The registration process can take three months; operating without registration can lead to a fine. Laos has no reliably documented national standalone streaming platform in the reviewed material. LNTV's livestream, archive and YouTube presence, videos on Facebook, YouTube and TikTok, and global services such as Netflix provide functional alternatives. Access depends on an internet connection, SIM card or Wi-Fi, and data or subscription costs. At the end of 2025, about 5.03 million people used the internet, representing 63.6% of the population, while 36.4% remained offline. Rural access is more uneven, with 60.3% of the population living in rural areas. Facebook and Messenger are especially significant, and Thai television and social media are relevant external sources because of language proximity. Reported platform figures are advertising-reach or user-identity estimates, not counts of unique active people. A media organization must apply to the Mass Media Department. The stated formal process covers print, radio, television and other electronic or internet distribution through cable, air or frequencies, with a listed processing period of 90 days. Leadership, editors and reporters are expected to have Lao citizenship and residence, a relevant diploma, professional experience and at least one foreign language. The organization also needs suitable premises, equipment, vehicles and capital. Foreign organizations follow an additional Ministry of Foreign Affairs process involving registration in the country of origin, a home-country media license and government approval. A license is valid for 12 months. Renewal can be requested up to 90 days after expiry with an annual report. A 2017 formalities sheet lists total fees of LAK 1,220,000, with annual certificates of LAK 100,000 for a newspaper or magazine and LAK 200,000 per radio or television station; the current amounts were not separately confirmed. Article 44 of the Constitution and the Law on Media formally protect freedom of speech and the press, access to domestic and foreign news, information supplied to media and the creation of lawful media products. Restrictions include national or public interests, party and state policy, distorted information, defamation, pornography and social order. Online anonymity is prohibited, and authorities have monitoring and internet-service shutdown powers. Self-censorship and high political or security risks affect critical journalism. Reporters Without Borders ranked Laos 154th of 180 countries in its 2026 press-freedom assessment, with a score of 32.54. The Intellectual Property Law No. 50/NA 2023 protects audiovisual works and rights of reproduction, distribution and public communication. Sharing a film, recording, PDF or other media content without the necessary rights can therefore create copyright risk. There is no documented national broadcasting fee in the available research; ordinary access costs mainly arise from mobile data, internet service, print or PDF subscriptions and streaming subscriptions. Children face risks including grooming, cyberbullying, child sexual abuse material, harmful content and privacy or data violations. A national workshop addressed child online exploitation and abuse in 2025, and a National Plan of Action for 2026–2030 was planned. Protection pathways remain under development and may involve national authorities, platform reporting, the National Commission for the Advancement of Women and Mothers and Children (NCAWMC), the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Education and Sports, and UNICEF support. People can participate through comments, sharing, creator accounts and video formats, but formal media creation follows the licensing system and public criticism of political authorities online carries substantial risk.