PA Media
The Press Association is the national news agency of the United Kingdom and Ireland, supplying news wire to almost all national and local newspapers, TV & radio news as well as many websites. 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 is based in London, Nottingham (photographic depatment) and Howden and has correspondents 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 PA produces 150 to 200 stories on weekdays.[1] The choice of stories by the PA 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 PA copy (or the few other much smaller agencies in the UK). 30% of stories were simple copies.[2] It is also considered a highly trusted source by organisations such as the BBC which treats it as "a confirmed, single source".[3]
The operation of The PA was threatened in 1995 when some newspapers prepared to change their wire source to a new company, UK News. This resulted in severe personnel cutbacks.
Board of Directors
- Paul Potts (Executive Chairman)
- Steven Brown (Managing Director)
- Tony Watson (Managaing Director, Press Association Wire)
- Ian Campbell (Managing Director, PA Sport)
- Jennie Campbell (Managing Director, MeteoGroup)
- Jonathan Grun (Editor, Press Association Wire)
- Sly Bailey
- Kevin Beatty
- Tim Bowdler
- Alan Crosbie
- Charles Gregson
- James Murdoch
Shareholders
- Daily Mail and General Trust
- News International
- United Business Media plc
- Trinity Mirror plc
- Guardian Media Group
- The Telegraph Group
- Johnston Press
- Archant
- DC Thomson
- Midland News Association
- Thomas Crosbie & Co
References
- ^ Flat Earth News, Nick Davies, 2008, chapter 3
- ^ The Quality & Independence of British Journalism, MediaWatch, February 2008]
- ^ Notice by BBC Journalism board, 1 December 2004
External links
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