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The Rodong Sinmun of North Korea is the organ of the Workers' Party of Korea and the largest daily newspaper in North Korea. It was founded on November 1, 1945, under the name Jeongro, and changed to Rodong Sinmun on September 1, 1946. The role of newspapers in North Korea is 'the struggle to remodel nature, society, and human beings as required by the leader.' As such, the newspaper is thoroughly representative of the views of North Korean leaders and the regime on major issues.
It is headquartered in Pyongyang. The newspaper has been published since November 1972, expanding to six pages in 1974, with a current circulation of 1.5 million. Photographs and type are primarily printed in black and white, but color printing has been increasing since Kim Jong-un took power. The leader's name is printed larger than the rest of the text, and the leader's remarks are written in a different style.
The first and second pages of the newspaper are devoted to politics, with articles praising the North Korean leadership and policy-related editorials regularly appearing. Page 3 is devoted to the economy, with propaganda about economic development in each region, and page 4 is devoted to North Korean social, cultural, and sports news. Pages 5 and 6 occasionally report international news. Unlike domestic news, international news mostly reports negative stories such as natural disasters, terrorism, and conflicts. This is done in order to prevent the population from becoming longing for the outside world.
The most important articles in Rodong Sinmun are editorials and commentaries praising leader Kim Jong Un and his achievements. The policies of the Workers' Party are also important. You won't find criminal cases or policy criticism in North Korean labor newspapers. On the other hand, negative events in other countries are reported in greater detail. North Korea does not have a press. In this country, newspapers are merely a means of publicizing the leader's achievements.
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