Difference between Associated Press and Reuters
Two of the most respected news organizations in the world are the Associated Press and Reuters. Countless millions of people the world over rely on these two sources for fair, impartial and up-to-the-minute news, and they have both built up an excellent reputation in the minds of the public. This comparison article takes a look at some of the key characteristics of these two hallowed news organizations.
Profile
The Associated Press is a news agency based in the United States and is under the ownership of various newspapers, radio and television stations, all of which contribute stories as well as use its news materials. There are also numerous subscriber newspapers and broadcast organizations outside the United States that use AP materials in exchange for a fee, although they aren't actually AP members.
Reuters Group Limited (known as Reuters Group PLC since 2008) is under the ownership of Thomson Reuters. It is a news organization based in the United Kingdom and its primary responsibility is to provide news reports to media broadcasters and newspapers from around the world. The company was previously a primarily financial market information provider and its news reporting is said to have provided less than 10% of its income.
Coverage
Associated Press news is published by over 1,700 newspapers and is broadcast by more than 5,000 television and radio stations. The company also has 243 news bureaus in 120 countries, and maintains a photo library containing more than 10 million images.
Reuters services practically all the major news organizations in the world and it has offices in more than 200 cities worldwide in 94 countries.
Key Points In History
Associated Press was formed in 1846 by five newspapers as a non-profit news organization for the sole purpose of sharing in the cost of transmitting news related to the Mexican War. The company soon blossomed into a much larger news organization with offices in South American, Europe and the Middle East. Headed by Kent Cooper, the company introduced various innovations that revolutionized news transmittal such as the Teletype and the Wirephoto network, which allowed the transmission of photographs over telephone lines. The Associated Press radio network was created in 1974, and by 1982, the company had begun using satellite services to transmitting photographs.
Reuters came into being when founder Paul Julius Reuter used homing pigeons in order to speed up news transmission between Aachen and Brussels, which were previously unconnected by the telegraph line and was therefore the stumbling block in what was otherwise an efficient and speedy news delivery process. By 1851, Reuter had set up the "Submarine Telegraph" office, which was ideally positioned to make use of the then-planned undersea cable. A deal with the London Stock Exchange was then signed in which Reuters would get stock price information from Europe in exchange for London stock prices. Reuters was restructured and incorporated in 1865, and became public in 1984, after which it expanded its services to include media, financial and economic reporting.
Summary
Associated Press
- Is owned by various newspapers, radio and television stations
- Provides news to over 1,700 newspapers and 5,000 television and radio stations
- Has 243 news bureaus in 120 countries
- Maintains a photo library containing more than 10 million images
Reuters
- Had its beginning using homing pigeons
- Provides news reports to media broadcasters and newspapers from around the world
- Was previously a primarily financial market information provider
- Services practically all the major news organizations in the world
- Has offices in more than 200 cities in 94 countries
