 Dear learners, I, Trisha Dwaraburva, the Bhupan-Hasirakas-Kulamas communication, Krishnakandar Handik state of an University, would like to welcome you on to another segment of online class. In today's class, we are going to talk about, discuss the very concept of news agency. What a news agency is all about, is different functions and different types. This particular topic belongs to unit 14 of the second semester of BA in journalism and mass communication. Let us try to understand this particular topic in a more detailed way. Now in this particular unit, we will define what a news agency is. We will also describe the different roles and functions of a news agency. We will also try to understand the historical overview of news agencies in India and also discuss some of the most important news agencies across the world. And finally, we shall talk about what editing wire copy is all about. In the earlier units, we have tried to understand different aspects related to news reporting as well as editing, which are said to be very important parts, a very crucial part of the profession of journalism. But there is another important concept that is related to this particular area of journalism and that is news and news agencies. Now news agency is a very important component of this particular profession of journalism. Why it is important? Yes, we have the different news papers, we have different print media forms, we have different electronic media forms. But why are we still dependent on news agencies? This is because without the efficient functioning of a news agency or without the efficient functioning of a proper news channel, we will not get news that is, you know, rich in quality as well as it is very much essential for the society. News agencies are one of the major sources of news for newspapers as well as electronic media organizations. On whom they rely for authentic and speedy news as well as features. Now let us therefore start off by finding out what exactly is a news agency and how it is difficult or different from any other media organization. Now from a layman's point of view, news agencies deform a major source of news for print as well as electronic media. From which any media organizations actually find very difficult to operate or very difficult to survive. Just like news papers, news agencies also gather and process news. But unlike newspapers, they do so for the purpose of disseminating it to the different media organizations that have actually subscribed to their services. News agencies distribute different copies, different news stories to different news organizations be it print organization or other electronic media organizations. Now there is another concept called a wire copy. Now what is a wire copy? Now since the different news stories are distributed to different media organizations be it print as well as electronic, they are sent electronically that is by teletype to telegraph or to fax or the internet. And that is why such news agencies are known as wire services because they use wire communication and also we call as news agency copies are also known as wire copy. Now let us come to different role and functions of news agencies. News agencies have processed information for use by media organizations and not for consumption of the larger masses of people. Also subscribers of news agencies includes different newspapers, it can be different magazines, it can be different television stations, it can be different radio stations, it can be different media institutes as well. Of course such different organizations they have to pay certain amount of money as subscription fees on a monthly, quarterly or yearly basis. And apart from this different news services, news agencies they also provide photo service and feature service. Now what is photo service? Now photo service basically like they provide different photographs to cover for different news stories. And different feature services means it provides different feature stories or news stories. Now news agencies do not issue customized reports to newspapers and TV channels. Like you know for instance if I have a particular news channel of my own or if I have a particular you know a pre-media organization of my own and if I am a subscriber to a particular news agency. That particular news agency will not customize a news report only for myself, only for my organization. In fact that news organization will supply that particular news story to variety of different other news organizations as well who have subscribed to them. And they distribute the same amount of an event to all its clients. And they always try their very best to provide you know demonstrably correct information. Because objectivity and neutrality they are two important philosophies that forms the core of any news agency. So authenticity of news stories is a must. Now usually when we talk about different contents of news stories what exactly consist of different contents that have been provided by different news agencies. Only politics and economics. And apart from politics and economics different news stories and different news agencies to cover also belong to other human interest stories as well as other entertainment based news stories. Of course these days this particular trend of you know covering only politics, economics or human interest stories as well as entertainment based news stories is you know coming down a bit. And this trend is actually changing and many other areas are being covered by the different news agencies. And you know the major news agencies they have special financial services as well. You know these days people are into stock markets you know people are they look for numbers and all. So specialized financial services also provided by the different news agencies as well as sports paid services, special services in different languages or you know different international services and host of other specialized services. Now those news agencies which cover news not only for print media but they also supply the different news stories for other web based sources for other broadcast media also. Those news agencies are actually known as multimedia news agencies. Now there is a particular committee known as the Kuldip Nair committee and this committee was formed you know in the year 1977 and this particular committee was formed to actually you know this discuss or to ascertain the role and functions of news agencies in India. This particular committee suggested you know what actually we can look forward or what recommendations can be given for the news for a particular news agency to function properly in a country like India. The first important recommendation which this particular committee has talked about is objectivity, adequacy and independence. Now from the term objectivity we can actually make out the news is said to be objective in nature. What is objectivity? You know the person who is covering the particular news story be it a reporter, be it a correspondent or be it a stranger that particular person should be very much objective should not try to interpret the news by putting his or her own opinion or his or her own views into the particular news story. Basically when we talk about objectivity we say that the news story should contain the basic hard facts 5Ws and 1H and such when we talk about objectivity those news stories mostly covers you know news stories belonging to from at the national level or something which is a very important in the international arena so those news stories they should be actually very much objective in nature means whatever facts is given at the field those facts only should be reported there should be any kind of interpretation to that that is what objectivity is all about. Then of course we have adequacy and independence you know very often we find it is not only about you know news agencies it is about different media organizations of course media is said to you know have independence different media organizations they are actually given independence to function independently but seldom that is seen because there is you know some form or the other there is a kind of external pressure on a particular media organization to function as whatever their superiors instruct them to function. So if that is the case and then that can actually you know you know bring down the quality of the news story. So independence is very much important the freedom to report of course within certain boundaries the freedom to report news stories that might be of interest to the general public as a whole or that might help the society in the long run those news stories should be given adequate platform. The second important recommendation which is Kuldip Naira committee has talked about is a news agency system should adequately cover all aspects of the country's life and not merely political events or the news from urban areas you know look the thing is that there should be you know uniform representation of news from across the country it's not that only the metropolitan areas or the urban areas will get the prominence while reporting for news stories but the other semi urban areas or for that matter other you know other smaller areas of the country the rural areas of the country should also get you know importance while the different news stories are being covered in fact there should be a kind of uniformity should be there it should not be concentrated only in particular area that is what the second recommendation has talked about from this Kuldip Naira committee. A third important recommendation which they have talked about is that consequently the dissemination of news by the agencies has to take place increasingly through the different Indian languages. So you know it's not that only the national language should be emphasized on and it's not that only English should be emphasized on or maybe Hindi should be emphasized on or maybe Kannada should be there should be a mix of different languages you know so that you know every culture every region is equally represented when the different news stories are being presented. The fourth most important recommendation which this particular committee has talked about is that government must follow a self-denying policy of not interfering in any way with the work of news agencies that is what has just talked about you know the concept of independence okay now of course it's it's also not proper that you know any government would actually they won't even understand that they won't even like a particular news organization to be given fully full independence to perform no government would be willing to do that but they must you know try to follow a self-denying policy they should not interfere and they should give certain you know boundaries should be there the okay such and such news should only be broadcast or such and such news only should be you know printed provided that particular news story doesn't go against the sentiments of the people or provided that particular news story doesn't you know interfere in the international affairs of the country so that that kind of you know policy should be in place the fifth most important recommendation which is a particular committee has suggested has recommended is that it is actually necessary that the news agency system also covers news which is not only outside the orbit of government functioning but which may imply criticism of authority and it is very much essential in a democracy that decent should get adequate coverage you know it it should not you know cover the news agencies is our request or the incident should perform a function in such a way that it also covers those news which is not only outside the orbit of the government but some something maybe you know it might criticize the government maybe it might criticize different organization in a positive way okay negative criticism is not to be encouraged but positive your criticism will bring out the you know the the good effects of it what actually can be done in the long run so that is what this fifth recommendation of this committee says so the sixth number recommendation is that the news agency system should not get identified any kind of vested interest either economic social communal or political that is very much true you know because the news agency when they're trying to function when they're gathering the different types of you know news for different media organizations you know they should not have any kind of vested interest in that it should be very much objective in nature because every news organization the main motto is to serve the general public it should not be there to earn profit motive that should not be in the mind because if they are trying to function with certain vested interest then that will actually shatter the very foundation of democracy okay so they should it's always important to understand a particular news agency they should not get identified with any kind of vested interest the seven important recommendation is that news agency should maintain a high standard of performance which would itself be a protection against interference from outside sources including the government I mean you know they should have a certain kind of standard of performance because whatever they try to focus whatever they kind of news they're trying to disseminate to the society you know it should be such that it should be such of high standard that the government will not feel a need to interfere into it so that kind of standard should be maintained another important recommendation is that news agencies even during such situations as hostilities or international tensions and disputes should strive to keep the people informed the realities of the situation and not confine themselves only to the so-called popular view of events so even during it's also said during this particular the recommendations also says that you know even during certain hostilities certain situations might crop up where you know there might be certain occasions when the different news and different news stories come up where you know we talk about the different hostilities we are talking about the clashes between different government functionaries different government machineries so even those aspects can be focused it's not that we we need to only focus on the popular events okay which which might grab the eyeballs for the people so it should be there should be balanced representation of news which this particular committee is suggesting another recommendation is that different techniques of internal checks and supervisions as well as evaluation of the news supplied to the subscribers should be actually developed by news agencies because you know from time to time there has to be a proper checks and you know on the functioning of the news agency on the function of different you know departments of the news agencies that will actually help the news agency to improve if they have any kind of loopholes or if they have any kind of you know certain aspects to it which they need to improve on that can be done that's why from time to time there should be some kind of supervisions that can there should be some internal checks and all. Another important recommendation is that the different programs of professional training of the staff should be organized on an adequate scale now it's it's not only that you know you bring someone from you know in any other organization and they come and work for news agency you know and they start writing different news stories they start collecting different news and then send this new stories to different media organizations it is very much easier said than done actually the work of a person who is engaged with collecting of news when editing of news you know with sending or disseminating those news to different media channel it's a it's a laborious task and that needs proper training you can't just bring someone you know ABC or some person and that person will start writing and it will provide the news to different media channels. So proper training is necessary training as in like it's not that the person needs to have a proper qualification or the person needs to be properly qualified to attend a particular school after completion or attending the particular trained school they can he or she can you know come or join in the particular profession it's not only that but the person should understand the different nitty gritties of this particular profession of this you know how the because we always talk about authenticity we always talk about objectivity we always talk about you know something which is which will not distort you know the image of society because this is you know the internet is full of misinformation the internet is full of fake news so one must be actually very careful while selecting the different sources for collecting and compiling the different news stories. Another important recommendation which this particular committee talks about is since news reporting is a creative activity the selection of personnel should always be made strictly unmarried and there should be opportunities for promotion of talent because as I've just said that collecting of news editing of news disseminating of news stories it's a very laborious work it needs a lot of patience it needs a lot of dedication you know it needs a lot of you know hard work to earn that particular you know position so one must be actually very careful when they select the people who are involved in a news organization or people who are involved in a news agencies and each the selection should always be based on merit that is what this particular committee has recommended. The last important recommendation that the Kuldiv Nair committee has said is an element of social responsibility in the building and function of a news agency system has to be recognized as a part of the concept of freedom of press. We often talk about social responsibility. We often talk about the social responsible rule of the media the social responsible rule of different media organizations. Now why do we see that? Yes a media organization can just function they can just collect the news they'll try to edit the news and they'll try to send the news stories to different media organizations or they can you know send the news stories to different media outlets so the matter instead then why should we go for social responsibility? What shall we gain from social responsibility? That is because we are living the society. We have a duty towards the society. We need to communicate we need to interact with each and every social being of the planet and there in comes a rule of social responsibility and social responsibility when you talk about this particular it's not only you know seen in the in the case of media organizations but social responsibility is also very much prevalent in other multinational companies and other education institutions as well. You know because since we live in the society we interact with each other so there is a duty that's a responsibility to maintain that particular standard of authenticity to have maintain that standard objectivity while reporting and presenting the different news stories. Now so far we have tried to understand what a news agency is all about the different what exactly is a wire copy what is a multimedia news agency the different functions of a news agency as well as the different recommendations of the Kuldip Naya committee which they have you know given a list of around you know 12 recommendations of how a news agency should perform most most specifically in the context of India.