News Agencies/Wire

Services

Definition

• A news agency gathers news reports and sells them to news organizations,

such as newspapers, magazines, radio stations, television networks and

websites.

• It is also known as a wire service or newswire.

Features of news service

•1.• Neutral

• It should not only be impartial

but be seen to be impartial

Features of news service

•2. • Attribute information to spokesman/named sources.

• Exercise great care when attributing information to

unnamed sources.

Features of news service

•3.• Steer clear of

doubt/ambiguity

Features of news service

•4.• Ensure accuracy

Features of news service

•5.• Ensure timeliness

• Treat every minute as a deadline

Business Model

• Revenue based on news packages

• General News

• Business News

• Sports News

• Photographs

• Infographics

• Category of service

• Mix and match

• Number of stories/photographs

• Circulation of newspaper

Important News AgenciesName Country Abbreviation

Agence France-Presse France AFP

Associated Press USA AP

Thomson Reuters UK-Canada

Xinhua China

Deutsche Presse-Agentur Germany DPA

Kyodo News Japan

Associated Press of Pakistan Pakistan APP

Information Telegraph Agency of

Russia

Russia Tass

United Press International USA UPI

Indian news agencies

Name Language Abbreviation

Press Trust of India English PTI

United News of India English UNI

Asian News International English ANI

Indo-Asian News Service English IANS

Bhasha Hindi

Univarta Hindi

Distribution of International News Service

• Indian Law requires that all international news services must have an Indian

partner.

• The Indian partner distributes the service to Indian media outlets.

History of Indian News Services

1910Birth of Associated Press of India, floated by K C

Roy, often called the first Indian news agency

1919Reuters takes over operations of API but still uses

API credit line

1945API registered as a private limited Indian company

wholly owned by Reuters

1947, August 27 Press Trust of India incorporated in Madras

1948Hindusthan Samachar set up by S.S. Apte. It

provided news in ten Indian languages

1949, February 1PTI begins news services, taking over operations

from API but still maintains links with Reuters.

1953 PTI becomes a free agent, independent of Reuters

History of Indian News Services

1961 United News of India is launched

1976PTI, UNI, Samachar Bharati and Hindusthan

Samachar merged to become 'Samachar'

1978, AprilNews agencies go back to their original units to

restart independent news operations

1981UNI starts selling news to Gulf countries and

Singapore.

1982 Univarta, UNI’s Hindi news service is launched

1992 UNI’s Urdu service is launched

Press Trust of India

• Registered in 1947

• Started functioning in 1949

• PTI is a trust

• It is run by Board of Directors

• Chairman is elected every year

• CEO, also called Editor-in-Chief, runs day to day operations

Press Trust of India

• 1. 400 correspondents

• 500 stringers

• Distribute 2,000 stories a day

• Distribute 500 pictures a day

• PTI claims 90% of news agency market share in India

• Bhasha is PTI’s Hindi news service

United News of India

• Established in 1961

• Launched Univarta in 1982

• Urdu news service in 1992

• 325 journalists

• 250 stringers

• Run by Board of Directors

ANI

• 1. Set up about 50 years ago

• Provides text

• Photographs

• Multimedia

• Distributes Reuters news

Indo-Asian News Service

• Established in 1986

• News about Indian diaspora

• IANS Hindi started in 1995

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