United Press International
United Press International (UPI) is a significant global news agency that emerged from the merger of two prominent press associations in 1958: the United Press Association and the International News Service. Its origins trace back to the mid-nineteenth century, with a collaborative spirit among regional newspapers during the American Civil War to streamline news coverage. UPI quickly established itself as a key competitor to the Associated Press, providing a wide range of news stories and information to local media across the United States.
UPI has a historical track record of pioneering innovations in news transmission, being the first to utilize wire transmission of photographs, and it was an early adopter of broadcasting election results and providing reports for radio and television. Despite facing financial challenges and changes in ownership, UPI has maintained its role as a vital source of information for the mass media, covering diverse topics such as politics, economics, culture, and entertainment. Its influence remains significant, shaping public discourse through its reporting and analysis.
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Subject Terms
United Press International
- FOUNDED: 1958
- TYPE OF ORGANIZATION: Press agency providing news and fillers to subscribing media
- SIGNIFICANCE: In conjunction with the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, and ITAR-TASS, UPI provides the majority of international and national coverage of news to local media
Although the first news-gathering service was created in the mid-nineteenth century with the formation of Havas in France, press agencies and syndicates did not gain wide popularity until the American Civil War. During the Mexican War and American Civil War, several regional newspaper groups banded together and joined the New York Associated Press to provide news coverage of war events and activities. Through their collective activities, newspapers saved the expense of each sending individual reporters to cover the stories. By 1900, the small collection of regional newspapers had evolved into a nationwide cooperative, supplying foreign and domestic news and fillers for local media across the United States.
During the Great Depression of the 1930s, competition between radio and newspapers had increased significantly. In 1933, the United Press Association (UPA) caved in to demands by newspaper clients to restrict the provision of news to radio stations. In an agreement with the Associated Press known as the Baltimore Agreement, UPA agreed to limit news reporting to radio to two broadcasts per day, and restrict broadcasts to commentary and interpretation only. This agreement was short-lived, and in 1935 United Press resumed unrestricted sale of news reports to radio stations and networks.
In 1958 UPI was created by the fusion of two influential press associations. The first was the United Press Association, created in 1907 by Edward Wyllis Scripps. The second was William Randolph Hearst’s International News Service, formed in 1909. The two hoped to challenge the hegemony of the Associated Press (AP). Although the AP remained the largest news syndicate, UPI has risen to preeminence through its provision of information and stories to local newspapers and other media. Additionally, UPI pioneered many areas of news coverage, including the first wire transmission of photographs for news stories in 1925, transmission by telephoto, and by 1958, transmission by facsimile. UPI was also among the first newsgroups to provide election returns for the 1928 election and was the first news service to provide reports for radio in the 1920s and television in the early 1950s.
Although UPI has been bought and sold since its creation and was reorganized in bankruptcy during the early 1990s, it has proven to be a powerful source and filter of information for the mass media. In 2000, UPI was purchased by News World Communications, a media conglomerate founded by Korean businessman and religious figure, Sun Myung Moon. UPI became a digital news provider, covering politics, business and economics, society, culture, and entertainment. It was purchased by Moon, who died in 2012, as a way to influence global media.
Bibliography
“About UPI.” United Press International, about.upi.com/. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
Noguchi, Yuki. "Washington Times Owner Buys UPI." The Washington Post, 15 May 2000, www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/2000/05/16/washington-times-owner-buys-upi/032eae8e-a3a1-4ff2-bbc3-02c531c37391/. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
“United Press International.” New World Encyclopedia, www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/United‗Press‗International. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
“United Press International (UPI).” Muck Rack, muckrack.com/media-outlet/upi. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.