News agency
A news agency is an organization that gathers, verifies, and distributes news to various media outlets, such as newspapers, periodicals, and broadcast services. They play a crucial role in providing timely and reliable information, often specializing in specific types of news, such as national or international stories, or even niche topics like financial news. The origin of news agencies dates back to the mid-nineteenth century in France, with notable early examples including Agence France-Presse (AFP) and Reuters. Over the years, the function of news agencies has evolved, especially with the rise of electronic media, which has altered how news is gathered and disseminated. With many newspapers experiencing financial challenges, news agencies have become increasingly important as they offer a cost-effective solution for media outlets to access a broad range of stories. In the modern era, numerous news agencies operate globally, with some of the most recognized names including AFP, Reuters, Associated Press (AP), United Press International (UPI), and Al Jazeera. The ongoing development of digital platforms has led some agencies to establish their own websites and mobile applications to reach audiences directly.
On this Page
Subject Terms
News agency
A news agency is an organization that gathers news, verifies it, and distributes it to other organizations such as newspapers, periodicals, and broadcast media. Some news agencies also provide photographs, video content, and online content. They serve as a more efficient way for news media to gather current information and news stories from around the world. A news agency may specialize in national or international news. They can also focus on a specific aspect of the news, such as financial news. News agencies do not usually publish their own news, though some news agencies might publish news directly through a website or a mobile app.
Background
The earliest news agencies were formed in France in the mid-nineteenth century. At first, their focus was on providing news about France to other countries. During the 1840s, the Agence France-Presse (AFP) was formed when several smaller agencies merged. The concept of news agencies spread to other areas of Europe when Bernhard Wolff and Paul Julius Reuter, two Germans working for AFP, set up their own news agencies in Germany and England, respectively. Wolff established Wolffs Telegraphisches Bureau, and Reuter founded Reuters News Agency. Guglielmo Stefani later established Agenzia Stefani in Italy.
When transcontinental telegraph messages became possible in 1866, international news agencies were founded in Europe, America, and other areas. World War II had a serious impact on news agencies. Many were censored or even taken over by hostile government officials. Several agencies folded while others expanded globally. After the war ended, news agencies grew in scope as the demand for news increased. However, the increase in electronic media has brought changes to how news agencies do business.
Overview
News agencies—which are also known as news services or wire services—employ teams of journalists, photographers, and videographers to gather news. They also have support staff to help verify, process, and distribute this news. These news services help the media by providing trustworthy information in a more cost-effective manner. Although media outlets may have their own news gathering teams, news agencies allow them to cover more stories. Agencies provide national and international stories that a single newspaper staff would not able to cover.
With the rise of the internet and electronic media outlets in the twenty-first century, the role of news agencies has changed. Many newspapers lost customers and made cutbacks to their editorial staff during this time, and they often filled the gap by relying on pre-written content from news agencies. This increased the importance of news agencies in some circumstances. However, the decrease in the number of newspapers also meant that news agencies lost customers. To compensate for this, some agencies created their own methods for distributing the news. Some relied on mobile apps while others posted news through their own websites or on their social media accounts.
In the twenty-first century, there are dozens of news agencies in operation worldwide, including AFP and Reuters. Both were ranked among the top ten agencies in 2024. Some other popular news agencies include the Associated Press (AP), United Press International (UPI), and Al Jazeera.
Bibliography
Cavendish, Paul. "Paul Julius Reuter Born in Germany." History Today, 7 July 2016, www.historytoday.com/richard-cavendish/paul-julius-reuter-born-germany. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.
"High Wires." The Economist, 12 Feb. 2009, www.economist.com/node/13109820. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.
“History of News Agencies.” Communication, communication.iresearchnet.com/media/history-of-news-agencies/. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.
Jain, Sandeep. “List of Top 10 News Agencies in the World.” GeeksforGeeks, 12 Mar. 2024, www.geeksforgeeks.org/top-10-news-agencies-in-the-world/. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.
Mbaya, Nancy. "International News Agencies: A History." European Journal of Communication, vol. 36, no. 1, 2021, pp. 94-98. doi.org/10.1177/0267323120987121. Accessed 4 Feb. 2025.
"Morse Code and the Telegraph." History.com, 12 Aug. 2022, www.history.com/topics/inventions/telegraph. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.
"Reuters News Agency." Thomson Reuters, thomsonreuters.com/en/products-services/reuters-news-agency.html. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.
Schuleten-Jaspers, Yasmin. "Taking to the Wire. Agencies and the Future of News." European Journalism Observatory, 2 Oct. 2013, en.ejo.ch/media-economics/taking-wire-agencies-future-news. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.
"2016 News Agencies Web Ranking." 4International Media & Newspapers, www.4imn.com/news-agencies/. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.
White, Louis. "Do We Still Need News Agencies?" The Sydney Morning Herald, 15 March 2015, www.smh.com.au/small-business/trends/do-we-still-need-newsagencies-20150223-13myxn.html. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.