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RIA Novosti

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RIA Novosti is a major news agency based in Moscow, Russia.

Newsroom RIA Novosti, Moscow 2
Newsroom RIA Novosti, Moscow 2

It provides news and analysis on many different topics. These include science, money, and social politics. The agency shares its information through the internet and via email. It uses many different languages to reach people. These include main European languages, Persian, Japanese, and Arabic. Its clients include many parts of the Russian government. They also serve business leaders and diplomatic missions from around the world.

The agency has a very long and changing history.

Newspaper stall and women in East Berlin, with person in wheelchair, 1984
Newspaper stall and women in East Berlin, with person in wheelchair, 1984

It began on June 24, 1941, as the Soviet Information Bureau. This group was set up to report on war events and domestic life. It worked through newspapers, magazines, and radio stations. In 1961, it became the Novosti Press Agency, or APN. This agency aimed to build trust and friendship between different nations. It had bureaus in more than 120 countries during that time.

Changes continued as the years went by. In 1990, the agency became the Information Agency Novosti, or IAN. It created a large computer databank with 250,000 documents. In 1991, the RIA Novosti we know today was formed.

Information Office - Embassy of Russia in Washington, D.C
Information Office - Embassy of Russia in Washington, D.C

It grew to have about 80 bureaus and news offices outside of Russia. In 2005, the agency helped start the RT media network. RT is a global television news network that uses many languages. The agency helped start it but said it remained independent.

In 2013, the agency went through a big reorganization.

Newsroom RIA Novosti, Moscow 2
Newsroom RIA Novosti, Moscow 2

President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to change how it worked. The agency was merged with the Voice of Russia to create Rossiya Segodnya. This meant many staff members had to choose new contracts. However, RIA Novosti was still registered as a news agency in 2014. It continues to operate its Russian language news service today. It uses the website ria.ru to reach its readers.

Because of its work, the agency has faced many serious situations. During the invasion of Ukraine, it made some mistakes in its reporting. In February 2022, it accidentally published an article about a Russian victory. The agency removed the article quickly after it was posted. Some countries have also used sanctions against the agency. Canada placed RIA Novosti on a sanctions list in 2023. The European Union also placed it on a list in 2024. They accused the agency of spreading propaganda, which is information used to promote one view.

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🖼️ Images & Media (3)
File:Newspaper stall and women in East Berlin, with person in wheelchair, 1984.jpg
Newspaper stall and women in East Berlin,...
File:Newsroom RIA Novosti, Moscow 2.jpg
Newsroom RIA Novosti, Moscow 2.jpg
File:Information Office - Embassy of Russia in Washington, D.C.JPG
Information Office - Embassy of Russia in...
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