Press Association
Encyclopedia
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. It was founded in 1868 by a consortium of provincial newspaper
proprietors as a co-operative in order to supply news items from across the country to its members. It has offices around the UK and Ireland including London
, Nottingham
(photographic department) and Howden and has over 200 correspondent
s throughout Britain.
It is part of the PA Group which includes subsidiaries that specialise in coverage and data of sport, entertainment and business. In turn the Press Association has two subsidiaries, the Scottish Press Association and the Press Association of Ireland (covering Northern and the Republic of Ireland).
The Press Association produces over 100 stories on weekdays. The choice of stories by the Press Association has a large impact on coverage in UK media. A study to quantify this found that 70% of UK news articles in the five most notable quality London based newspapers were largely influenced by the Press Association's copy (or the few other much smaller agencies in the UK). 30% of stories were simple copies. Guardian
journalist Nick Davies' study of what he pejoratively termed churnalism
found that a high proportion of stories in UK media, including some distributed by the Press Association, amounted to little more than uncritical reproduction of press releases and spin from government bodies and corporate organisations.
It was considered a trusted source by the BBC
, which in 2004 stated it was "a confirmed, single source". However, since that time the BBC has adopted a policy of attributing some breaking news stories to agencies until confirmed by at least one other source.
during a traffic jam as a result of London smog. The news agency’s founders wanted more accurate and reliable news, delivered quicker than the telegraph companies. When it was set up the committee who organised it said “The Press Association is formed on the principle of co-operation and can never be worked for individual profit, or become exclusive in its character”.
Today, the Press Association says its mantra is fast, fair and accurate. The company has gone from a news and sport supplier to traditional media, to a digital organisation that supplies news, sport, images, weather and many other services to numbers of different customers.
A full history of the Press Association was written by Chris Moncrieff, CBE, the former Political Editor of the Press Association in 2001 called "Living on a Deadline."
News agency
A news agency is an organization of journalists established to supply news reports to news organizations: newspapers, magazines, and radio and television broadcasters. Such an agency may also be referred to as a wire service, newswire or news service.-History:The oldest news agency is Agence...
of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, 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. It was founded in 1868 by a consortium of provincial 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...
proprietors as a co-operative in order to supply news items from across the country to its members. It has offices around the UK and Ireland including London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
(photographic department) and Howden and has over 200 correspondent
Correspondent
A correspondent or on-the-scene reporter is a journalist or commentator, or more general speaking, an agent who contributes reports to a newspaper, or radio or television news, or another type of company, from a remote, often distant, location. A foreign correspondent is stationed in a foreign...
s throughout Britain.
It is part of the PA Group which includes subsidiaries that specialise in coverage and data of sport, entertainment and business. In turn the Press Association has two subsidiaries, the Scottish Press Association and the Press Association of Ireland (covering Northern and the Republic of Ireland).
The Press Association produces over 100 stories on weekdays. The choice of stories by the Press Association has a large impact on coverage in UK media. A study to quantify this found that 70% of UK news articles in the five most notable quality London based newspapers were largely influenced by the Press Association's copy (or the few other much smaller agencies in the UK). 30% of stories were simple copies. Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
journalist Nick Davies' study of what he pejoratively termed churnalism
Churnalism
Churnalism is a form of journalism in which press releases, wire stories and other forms of pre-packaged material are used to create articles in newspapers and other news media in order to meet increasing pressures of time and cost without undertaking further research or checking.-Prevalence:In his...
found that a high proportion of stories in UK media, including some distributed by the Press Association, amounted to little more than uncritical reproduction of press releases and spin from government bodies and corporate organisations.
It was considered a trusted source by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, which in 2004 stated it was "a confirmed, single source". However, since that time the BBC has adopted a policy of attributing some breaking news stories to agencies until confirmed by at least one other source.
History
The Press Association was started in 1868 by a group of regional newspaper owners to provide a London-based service of news-collecting and reporting from around the British Isles. The story goes, they came up with idea in the back of a Hansom CabHansom cab
The hansom cab is a kind of horse-drawn cart designed and patented in 1834 by Joseph Hansom, an architect from York. The vehicle was developed and tested by Hansom in Hinckley, Leicestershire, England. Originally called the Hansom safety cab, it was designed to combine speed with safety, with a low...
during a traffic jam as a result of London smog. The news agency’s founders wanted more accurate and reliable news, delivered quicker than the telegraph companies. When it was set up the committee who organised it said “The Press Association is formed on the principle of co-operation and can never be worked for individual profit, or become exclusive in its character”.
Today, the Press Association says its mantra is fast, fair and accurate. The company has gone from a news and sport supplier to traditional media, to a digital organisation that supplies news, sport, images, weather and many other services to numbers of different customers.
A full history of the Press Association was written by Chris Moncrieff, CBE, the former Political Editor of the Press Association in 2001 called "Living on a Deadline."
Board of directors
- Murdoch MacLennan (Chairman, PA Group)
- Clive Marshall (Chief Executive, PA Group)
- Steven Brown (Finance Director, PA Group)
- Tony Watson (Managing Director, Press Association)
- Jennie Campbell (Managing Director, MeteoGroup)
- Sly BaileySly BaileySly Bailey is both the chief executive of Trinity Mirror, UK's largest newspaper publisher, and non-executive director of EMI. She is widely considered as one of the most powerful woman executives in Europe...
(Chief Executive, Trinity Mirror) - Kevin Beatty
- Rebekah Brooks (former Chief Executive, News International)
- Alan Crosbie
- Adrian Jeakings
Shareholders
- Daily Mail and General TrustDaily Mail and General TrustDaily Mail and General Trust plc is a British media conglomerate, one of the largest in Europe. In the UK, it has interests in national and regional newspapers, television and radio. The company has extensive activities based outside the UK, through Northcliffe Media, DMG Radio Australia, DMG World...
- News InternationalNews InternationalNews International Ltd is the United Kingdom newspaper publishing division of News Corporation. Until June 2002, it was called News International plc....
- United Business Media plc
- Trinity Mirror plc
- Guardian Media GroupGuardian Media GroupGuardian Media Group plc is a company of the United Kingdom owning various mass media operations including The Guardian and The Observer. The Group is owned by the Scott Trust. It was founded as the Manchester Guardian Ltd in 1907 when C. P. Scott bought the Manchester Guardian from the estate of...
- The Telegraph Group
- Johnston PressJohnston PressJohnston Press plc is a newspaper publishing company headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland. Its flagship titles are The Scotsman and the Yorkshire Post; it also operates many other newspapers around the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and the Isle of Man. It is the second-largest publisher...
- ArchantArchantArchant is a publishing company, based in Norwich, England, United Kingdom. The group publishes four daily newspapers, around 75 weekly newspapers, and 75 consumer and contract magazines....
- DC Thomson
- Midland News AssociationMidland News AssociationMidland News Association is an independent local media business which has interests in print media and the radio industry. It has offices at Queen Street in Wolverhampton and Ketley, Telford.-Broadcasting:...
- Thomas Crosbie & CoThomas Crosbie HoldingsThomas Crosbie Holdings is a family-owned media and publishing group based in Cork, Ireland. Its largest publication is The Irish Examiner, the third largest daily broadsheet newspaper in the Republic of Ireland....