Press agencies represent history, changing traditions, and progress. Historically, press agencies provided news from locations far from our homes. This tradition began in the 1800s by utilizing the telegraph to distribute important news across regions, countries and continents. Stories ranged from far-flung battles to scientific advances. Press agencies told distant readers about the U.S. civil war, the sinking of the Titanic, and World Wars I and II. These and other reports strengthened the scope of local newspapers in an age when information and travel were limited. In a sense, press agencies began what is now known as the Information Age.

These days, much of our news comes from press agencies via the internet. This trend has increased rapidly with the advent of the internet and the proliferation of personal computers, laptops, and handheld devices. This trend is hastened by the increasing demise of local news coverage due to the closing or bankruptcy of newspapers.
Real news must be investigated and evaluated. It needs historical and/or scientific context. It needs competition to ensure fairness and balance. Press agency reporters provide this investigation, evaluation, context and balance as they do their jobs all over the world.

Like their distinguished predecessors, press agency reporters and photojournalists still tell the news and relate the stories relevant to our lives around the world. The three best-known English-speaking press agencies are the Associated Press (American), Reuters (British/Canadian) and Agence France-Presse (French). United Press International or UPI has changed ownership and is no longer considered a truly independent news gathering agency.

Traditional press agencies placed news content online games kostenlos with their subscribers. It is a recent and logical development for them to provide their product directly to the consumer via subscribers or their own internet websites. AP, AFP and Reuters each provide 5,000 stories daily, providing content and context for citizens around the globe.

These historic, traditional agencies – AP, AFP and Reuters -- have been joined in a growing field by smaller press agencies. These press agencies function somewhat differently than those who seek business subscribers for their news content. Newer press agencies seek to unite journalists with paying markets around the globe. They function more as matchmakers between journalists and news outlets. This is a logical and necessary advancement considering that the internet both shrinks international boundaries and expands our society’s potential knowledge by leaps and bounds. Journalists on location are needed to give historical and cultural context to breaking news. Journalists with special training in scientific fields are needed to communicate the true meaning of scientific finds. Smaller press agencies link up regional and local news to appropriate outlets.
This is vital because as the information age continues, traditional news providers are slowly disappearing. Newspapers shrink their content. Newspapers close. Local television markets are swamped by cable, which places no emphasis on local news. For all, their replacements have been websites. Without press agencies, the news may be lost in a sea of press releases and misinformation. The role of press agencies today is to place accurate information online and to find paying subscribers to maintain this effort.