News agency
Encyclopedia
A news agency is an organization of journalist
s established to supply news
reports to news organizations: newspaper
s, magazine
s, and radio
and television
broadcasters
. Such an agency may also be referred to as a wire service, newswire or news service.
(AFP). It was founded in 1835 by a Parisian translator and advertising agent
, Charles-Louis Havas
as Agence Havas. Two of his employees, Paul Julius Reuter
and Bernhard Wolff
, later set up rival news agencies in London and Berlin respectively. In 1853, in Turin
, Guglielmo Stefani founded the Agenzia Stefani
, that became the most important agency in the Kingdom of Italy
, and took international relevance with Manlio Morgagni.
In order to reduce overhead and develop the lucrative advertising side of the business, Havas's sons, who had succeeded him in 1852, signed agreements with Reuter and Wolff
, giving each news agency an exclusive reporting zone in different parts of Europe.
, Thomson Reuters
, AHN
). Other agencies work cooperatively with large media companies, generating their news centrally and sharing local news stories the major news agencies may chose to pick up and redistribute (i.e. AP
, Agence France-Presse
(AFP) or American Press Agency (APA)). Commercial newswire services charge businesses to distribute their news (e.g. Business Wire
, the Hugin Group
, Marketwire
, PR Newswire
, CisionWire
, and ABN Newswire
). Governments may also control news agencies: China (Xinhua), Canada, Russia (ITAR-TASS) and other countries also have government-funded news agencies which also use information from other agencies as well.
The major news agencies generally prepare hard news stories and feature articles that can be used by other news organizations with little or no modification, and then sell them to other news organizations. They provide these articles in bulk electronically through wire services (originally they used telegraphy
; today they frequently use the Internet
). Corporations, individuals, analysts and intelligence agencies may also subscribe.
News sources collectively described as alternative media
provide reporting which emphasizes a self-defined "non-corporate view" as a contrast to the points of view expressed in corporate media
and government-generated news releases. Internet
-based alternative news agencies
form one component of these sources.
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
s established to supply news
News
News is the communication of selected information on current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or word of mouth to a third party or mass audience.- Etymology :...
reports to news organizations: newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
s, magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
s, and radio
All-news radio
All-news radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcast of news.All-news radio is available in both local and syndicated forms, and is carried in some form on both major US satellite radio networks...
and television
News broadcasting
News broadcasting is the broadcasting of various news events and other information via television, radio or internet in the field of broadcast journalism. The content is usually either produced locally in a radio studio or television studio newsroom, or by a broadcast network...
broadcasters
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
. Such an agency may also be referred to as a wire service, newswire or news service.
History
The oldest news agency is Agence France-PresseAgence France-Presse
Agence France-Presse is a French news agency, the oldest one in the world, and one of the three largest with Associated Press and Reuters. It is also the largest French news agency. Currently, its CEO is Emmanuel Hoog and its news director Philippe Massonnet...
(AFP). It was founded in 1835 by a Parisian translator and advertising agent
Advertising agency
An advertising agency or ad agency is a service business dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising for its clients. An ad agency is independent from the client and provides an outside point of view to the effort of selling the client's products or services...
, Charles-Louis Havas
Charles-Louis Havas
Charles-Louis Havas was a French writer, translator, and founder of the news agency Agence France-Presse .Born at Rouen, Havas can be regarded as the founder of the concept of a press agency. He translated information from abroad for the French national press, aware of their growing interest in...
as Agence Havas. Two of his employees, Paul Julius Reuter
Paul Reuter
Paul Julius Freiherr von Reuter was a German entrepreneur and later naturalized British citizen...
and Bernhard Wolff
Bernhard Wolff
Bernhard Wolff was a German media mogul. He was editor of the Vossische Zeitung, founder of the National Zeitung , and founder of Wolffs Telegraphisches Bureau , one of the first press agencies in Europe and one of the three great European telegraph monopolies until the World War II-era, the other...
, later set up rival news agencies in London and Berlin respectively. In 1853, in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, Guglielmo Stefani founded the Agenzia Stefani
Agenzia Stefani
Agenzia Stefani was the leading press agency in Italy from the mid-19th century until the end of World War II, founded by Guglielmo Stefani on January 26, 1853.- The beginning :...
, that became the most important agency in the Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
, and took international relevance with Manlio Morgagni.
In order to reduce overhead and develop the lucrative advertising side of the business, Havas's sons, who had succeeded him in 1852, signed agreements with Reuter and Wolff
Wolffs Telegraphisches Bureau
Wolffs Telegraphisches Bureau was founded by Bernhard Wolff a German media mogul.It was one of the first press agencies in Europe and one of the three great European telegraph monopolies until the World War II-era, the other two being the English Reuters and the French Havas. They formed 1865 the...
, giving each news agency an exclusive reporting zone in different parts of Europe.
Commercial services
News agencies can be corporations that sell news (e.g. Press AssociationPress Association
The Press Association is the national news agency of the United Kingdom and Ireland, supplying multimedia news content to almost all national and regional newspapers, television and radio news, as well as many websites with text, pictures, video and data content globally...
, Thomson Reuters
Thomson Reuters
Thomson Reuters Corporation is a provider of information for the world's businesses and professionals and is created by the Thomson Corporation's purchase of Reuters Group on 17 April 2008. Thomson Reuters is headquartered at 3 Times Square, New York City, USA...
, AHN
All Headline News
All Headline News is a United States based news agency or wire service. Launched in 2003 it has grown to become a major worldwide online news wire service, providing news and other content, to websites, digital signage, and other publishers who pay a fee for the service.The company's daily news...
). Other agencies work cooperatively with large media companies, generating their news centrally and sharing local news stories the major news agencies may chose to pick up and redistribute (i.e. AP
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, Agence France-Presse
Agence France-Presse
Agence France-Presse is a French news agency, the oldest one in the world, and one of the three largest with Associated Press and Reuters. It is also the largest French news agency. Currently, its CEO is Emmanuel Hoog and its news director Philippe Massonnet...
(AFP) or American Press Agency (APA)). Commercial newswire services charge businesses to distribute their news (e.g. Business Wire
Business Wire
Business Wire is a company that disseminates full-text news releases from thousands of companies and organizations worldwide to news media, financial markets, disclosure systems, investors, information web sites, databases and other audiences. The company distributes news via its own patented...
, the Hugin Group
Hugin Group
The Hugin Group distributes full-text, unedited News releases from companies around the world. With a focus on European newswire distribution to the news media , Hugin has strategic relationships with partners in the US and in Asia -Business:Hugin distributes both Investor Relations and more...
, Marketwire
Marketwire
Marketwire is a full-service newswire and communications workflow solutions company headquartered in Toronto, Canada with offices throughout Canada, the United States, South America, and Asia. Marketwire was founded in 1993 and incorporated in the U.S in 1999...
, PR Newswire
PR Newswire
PR Newswire started out in 1954 as a vendor hired by companies and agencies to send out text press releases to the media. Today, PR Newswire is hired by corporations, public relations firms and non-governmental organizations to deliver news and multimedia content...
, CisionWire
Cision
Cision AB is a business and communication intelligence firm that provides media research, distribution, monitoring and communication evaluation, as well as target group identification and distribution of information for PR and IR purposes to public relations agencies, corporations, government...
, and ABN Newswire
ABN Newswire
ABN Newswire disseminates full-text news announcements and media from companies and organizations worldwide to news media, financial markets, disclosure systems, investors, information web sites, mobile devices, databases and other audiences.- Editorial :...
). Governments may also control news agencies: China (Xinhua), Canada, Russia (ITAR-TASS) and other countries also have government-funded news agencies which also use information from other agencies as well.
The major news agencies generally prepare hard news stories and feature articles that can be used by other news organizations with little or no modification, and then sell them to other news organizations. They provide these articles in bulk electronically through wire services (originally they used telegraphy
Telegraphy
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages via some form of signalling technology. Telegraphy requires messages to be converted to a code which is known to both sender and receiver...
; today they frequently use the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
). Corporations, individuals, analysts and intelligence agencies may also subscribe.
News sources collectively described as alternative media
Alternative media
Alternative media are media which provide alternative information to the mainstream media in a given context, whether the mainstream media are commercial, publicly supported, or government-owned...
provide reporting which emphasizes a self-defined "non-corporate view" as a contrast to the points of view expressed in corporate media
Corporate media
"Corporate media" is a term which refers to a system of mass media production, distribution, ownership, and funding which is dominated by corporations and their CEOs....
and government-generated news releases. Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
-based alternative news agencies
News agency (alternative)
An alternative news agency operates in a similar fashion to a commercial news agency, but defines itself as an alternative to commercial or "mainstream" operations. They span the political spectrum, but most frequently are progressive or radical left. Sometimes they combine the services of a news...
form one component of these sources.
External links
- Global News Agency 48 languages
- Global Press Agency 52 languages
- Xinhua News Agency 6 languages
- Xinhua News Agency