APA to celebrate 75 years of independence

APA – Austria Press Agency is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2021 as an independent Austrian media-owned cooperative news agency. To mark the occasion, the news agency group will be organising a series of digital events and thematic focal points throughout the entire anniversary year. Details on all activities, content and dates can be found under www.apa.at/75-jahre.

Renaissance of the basic mission

In 1946, shortly after the end of the Second World War, APA was founded at the initiative of the Associated Press (AP) and Reuters as a national news agency owned by Austrian daily newspapers – an important step for the still fledgling democracy. In 1964 membership expanded to include ORF television and ORF radio. To this day, APA is one of only about 20 news agencies worldwide that are independent of state and government. As a result of its consistent focus on true and unbiased news, technology and innovation as well as a targeted strategy of diversification and internationalisation, today APA is one of Europe’s most economically successful news agencies.

„APA’s political and economic independence has been our DNA since its foundation on 1 September 1946 and is still the basis for the company’s strategic development and digital transformation into a leading news, communications and technology provider. For the free and independent press and media in Austria, cooperatively organised APA fulfils an essential democratic-political function with its basic editorial service”, APA CEO Clemens Pig points out.

APA Managing Director Karin Thiller views the anniversary year as another opportunity to „illustrate APA’s basic mission – namely the reliable, balanced and fact-based provision of basic news – in all its modern interpretative facets”. This includes new digital news services, live blogs, algorithm-based automated content solutions and certified fact checks as well as high-end news and communications platforms and prototyping from APA-medialab. „For APA, the digital transformation is quite an exciting challenge”, Thiller says.

Anniversary website

All dates and activities will be continuously updated on a website that has been set up especially for this: www.apa.at/75-jahre. Throughout the entire anniversary year, APA and its subsidiaries will address current topics in the media, communications and IT industries at numerous digital events, which will be discussed together with experts. Other highlights include the medialab-days in April with a panel discussion on the „code of conduct and future of digital journalism“ and a ceremony in autumn.

APA Group

APA – Austria Press Agency comprises the cooperatively organised news agency and national and international subsidiaries. It is owned by Austrian daily newspapers and ORF and offers high-quality content and technological solutions for editorial and media operations and the communications industry.

The editorial office supplies large parts of the Austrian media landscape with the latest news in text, images, graphics, audio and video formats around the clock. APA’s reporting serves the media as a reliable, independent, fast and fact-based source.

All events and activities for the APA anniversary year: www.apa.at/75-jahre