Reuters (company)

Reuters (company)
Name	Reuters
Former names	Reuters News Agency
Type	Subsidiary
Founded	1851
Founder	Paul Julius Reuter
Headquarters	London, United Kingdom
Industry	News agency, Media
Products	Wire service, Financial market data, Media content
Parent	Thomson Reuters

Reuters (company) is a global news and information provider founded in 1851 by Paul Julius Reuter. It supplies text, video, imagery and market data to newspapers, broadcasters, financial institutions and digital platforms, operating alongside major organizations such as Associated Press, Bloomberg L.P., Agence France-Presse, The New York Times Company, BBC, and Thomson Corporation. Reuters has been influential in reporting on events involving institutions like the United Nations, European Union, United States Congress, NATO, and major historical episodes such as the World War I, World War II, Cold War, and Arab Spring.

History

Founded by Paul Julius Reuter, Reuters grew from carrier pigeons and telegraphy to an international wire service during the era of the Telegraph, competing with agencies like Havas and Wolffs Telegraphisches Bureau. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries it covered royal events involving the House of Windsor and treaties such as the Treaty of Versailles, expanded into photography and news bulletins, and reported on crises including the Spanish Civil War and the Russian Revolution. Post-1945, Reuters adapted to broadcasting developments tied to organizations like the BBC and reporting on decolonization in regions such as India, Africa, and Southeast Asia. Corporate changes in the late 20th and early 21st centuries included consolidation and mergers with entities such as Thomson Corporation and interactions with firms like Elsevier, LexisNexis, and Dow Jones & Company. Reuters covered financial milestones including the creation of NASDAQ and the London Stock Exchange modernizations, and was shaped by regulatory events like decisions from the Competition Commission (UK) and rulings involving the European Commission.

Services and Products

Reuters provides a wire service delivering breaking news, business coverage, and sports reporting to clients including The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, CNBC, Reuters TV and digital platforms like Google News and Twitter. Its financial information services compete with Bloomberg Terminal and FactSet by offering market data, pricing, and economic indicators related to entities such as the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, and stock exchanges including the New York Stock Exchange. Multimedia offerings include video bureaus used by broadcasters such as CNN and Al Jazeera, licensed photography similar to agencies like Getty Images and AP Images, and editorial content for publications such as The Guardian and Le Monde. Specialized products serve sectors including legal information linked to firms like Thomson Reuters Practical Law and tax services intersecting with regulators such as the Internal Revenue Service and HM Revenue and Customs.

Organizational Structure and Ownership

Reuters operates as part of the multinational corporation Thomson Reuters, with governance influenced by boards similar to those of General Electric and Berkshire Hathaway. Its structure includes editorial bureaus tied to regional headquarters in cities like London, New York City, Beijing, Tokyo, Washington, D.C., and Brussels. Management and leadership have included executives with backgrounds in organizations such as Oxford University, Harvard Business School, and former roles at firms like McKinsey & Company and Goldman Sachs. Corporate oversight interacts with international regulators including the Financial Conduct Authority and legal systems of countries such as Canada, Australia, and members of the European Union.

Editorial Policy and Ethics

Reuters maintains editorial standards intended to uphold independence, neutrality, and accuracy, referencing journalistic codes similar to those of the Society of Professional Journalists and professional ethics debates involving institutions like Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and the Poynter Institute. Its guidelines address conflicts involving politicians from parties like the Conservative Party (UK), Democratic Party (United States), Republican Party (United States), and leaders such as Angela Merkel, Boris Johnson, Barack Obama, and Vladimir Putin. Fact-checking practices relate to collaborations with organizations like International Fact-Checking Network and verification methods used during events such as the 2016 United States presidential election and coverage of public health crises involving the World Health Organization and pandemics like COVID-19.

Technology and Innovation

Reuters adopted telegraph and satellite communications in early expansions and later invested in digital platforms related to Internet Explorer era technologies and standards from bodies like the World Wide Web Consortium. It developed real-time terminals and data feeds to serve financial markets, competing with infrastructures of NASDAQ OMX and using protocols akin to those in FIX (Financial Information eXchange). Technological initiatives have included partnerships with cloud providers comparable to Amazon Web Services, machine learning projects tied to research from institutions like Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University, and multimedia delivery systems used by broadcasters such as Sky News and Deutsche Welle.

Global Presence and Operations

Reuters maintains bureaus and correspondent networks across continents, reporting from capitals and cities including Beijing, Moscow, New Delhi, Sao Paulo, Johannesburg, Cairo, and Canberra. Its operations engage with regional press laws in jurisdictions such as China, Russia, India, Brazil, and South Africa and coordinate coverage of international summits like G7 summit, G20 summit, and United Nations General Assembly. The agency provides language services and regional desks for areas affected by conflicts like the Syrian Civil War, Ukraine crisis, and humanitarian emergencies in Yemen and the Horn of Africa.

Controversies and Legal Issues

Reuters has faced legal and ethical controversies including disputes over sourcing and attribution in investigations related to figures such as Julian Assange and controversies around undercover reporting similar to cases involving The Guardian and Der Spiegel. It has been subject to litigation and regulatory scrutiny involving privacy and surveillance issues connected to entities like National Security Agency and allegations of bias debated in legislatures such as the United States Congress and inquiries by bodies like the UK Information Commissioner's Office. Coverage errors and corrigenda have occurred during high-profile events including the Iraq War and financial crises that implicated banks like Lehman Brothers and regulatory reforms associated with the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

Category:News agencies Category:Media companies of the United Kingdom