Agence France-Presse (AFP) is an international general and multimedia press agency, founded in August 1944 in Paris (France) to take over from Havas, the oldest press agency in the world. It provides rapid coverage of world news, in all areas and in all its forms: video, photography, text and infographics.
It is responsible for collecting, verifying, cross-checking and disseminating information, in a neutral, factual form, intended to be used directly by all types of media (radio, television, written press, websites) and also to serve as a source and alert for large companies and administrations.
With a network of 2,400 employees including 1,700 active journalists based in 260 cities across 151 countries, AFP is one of the largest news agencies in the world alongside Reuters and the Associated Press. It provides information in 6 languages: French, English, Spanish, Portuguese, German and Arabic.
In 2022, it achieved a turnover of 321.9 million euros, driven by video, digital investigation, activity for companies and institutions.
With the agreement of the European Commission, the French State compensates the general interest mission fulfilled by the AFP, for an amount which represented in total in 2023 a third of its turnover. At the same time, the independence of the AFP is guaranteed by law, which prohibits it from “taking into account influences or considerations likely to compromise the accuracy or objectivity of the information”, and which also prohibits it from “coming under the legal or de facto control of an ideological, political or economic group”.
Address: 11-13, Place de Ia Bourse, F – 75002 PARIS (2nd arrondissement).
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