site.bta European Alliance of News Agencies Celebrates 69th Birthday

"On this day in 1956, the European Alliance of News Agencies was established with a clear mission: to unite independent news organizations across Europe and strengthen the free flow of reliable information. What began as a vision of cooperation has grown into a strong community of agencies committed to the highest standards of journalism," the Board of the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA) said in a statement released on Thursday, EANA's Founding Day.

EANA President Fabrice Fries is quoted as saying: "As it approaches its 70th anniversary, EANA faces numerous challenges: multifaceted attacks on the journalism profession, the defense of facts in an era of polarization and massive disinformation, the protection and promotion of intellectual property, and the pursuit of financial balance while media clients are under intense pressure. Sharing and cooperation, which lie at the heart of the spirit that guided the founding of EANA, are more relevant than ever," EANA President Fabrice Fries is quoted as saying in the statement.

"We reaffirm our commitment to defend editorial independence, safeguard professional solidarity, and promote the essential role of news agencies in Europe and beyond. The strength of EANA lies not only in its history, but in its members’ enduring spirit of collaboration and their dedication to truth," the EANA Board stated.

The Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) was admitted to EANA on September 17, 1970. It is now one of 33 national news agencies affiliated to the organization.

For the first time in recent history, Bulgaria and BTA hosted the EANA Annual Conference between April 22 and 24, 2014. Taking part in the event, entitled "News Agencies and Strategies in the Information Age", were the directors of Agence France-Presse, dpa, TASS, the Anadolu Agency, Press Association, Ukrinform, EFE and another 50 heads of Europe's leading agencies. They focused on topical issues facing news agency journalism in the age of the copy-paste model of information distribution. The Conference was titled "News Agencies and Strategies in the Information Age". The participants also met with the mayors of Sofia and Plovdiv.

Since 2021, EANA's annual Award for News Agency Quality (introduced by the organization's General Assembly in 2005 to recognize excellence in news agency performance) has been named after Maxim Minchev in honour of the BTA Director General, who passed away in November 2020.

Announcing the decision, the Alliance described Minchev as "a great friend and an important member of the EANA community, always keeping an opened mind and fostering evolution and consensus." 

The winning project is selected by the EANA Board based on criteria including innovation, applicability, cost-effectiveness and impact. Candidates for the award are nominated by the member agencies. The winner receives a prize of CHF 1,000 and is invited to present the winning project at the next EANA General Assembly. Travel and accommodation costs are covered.

In 2021, the first Maxim Minchev Award for News Agency Quality went to Antje Homburger, dpa Deputy Editor-in-Chief/Head of News, for the dpa-InfoKanal project.