A news agency (French: "agence de presse") is an organization that gathers news reports and sells them to subscribing news organizations, such as newspapers, magazines and radio and television broadcasters. A news agency may also be referred to as a wire service, newswire, or news service. 

Although there are many news agencies around the world, three global news agencies, Agence France-Presse (AFP), Associated Press (AP) and Reuters, have offices in most countries of the world and cover all areas of information. All three began with and continue to operate on a basic philosophy of providing a single objective news feed to all subscribers; they do not provide separate feeds for conservative or liberal newspapers. Jonathan Fenby explains the philosophy: 

To achieve such wide acceptability, the agencies avoid overt partiality. Demonstrably correct information is their stock in trade. Traditionally, they report at a reduced level of responsibility, attributing their information to a spokesman, the press, or other sources. They avoid making judgments and steer clear of doubt and ambiguity. Though their founders did not use the word, objectivity is the philosophical basis for their enterprises – or failing that, widely acceptable neutrality. 

Only a few large newspapers could afford bureaus outside their home city. They relied instead on news agencies, especially Havas (founded 1835) in France and the Associated Press (founded 1846) in the United States. Former Havas employees founded Reuters in 1851 in Britain and Wolff in 1849 in Germany; Havas is now Agence France-Presse (AFP). For international news, the agencies pooled their resources, so that Havas, for example, covered the French Empire, South America and the Balkans and shared the news with the other national agencies. In France the typical contract with Havas provided a provincial newspaper with 1800 lines of telegraphed text daily, for an annual subscription rate of 10,000 francs. Other agencies provided features and fiction for their subscribers. QUESTIONS:

Q1:
1. What do news agencies stay away from?
2. What isn't a part of the mission of news agencies?
3. 
Q2:
1. Do news agencies have a history of reporting at reduced levels of accountability?
2. Are news agencies historically known for reporting without much accountability?
3. 
Q3:
1. How many large news organizaitons had the money to afford services outside their own city?
2. How many news orgs could pay to have services that weren't in their own town?
3. 
Q4:
1. Who did news publications rely on in France?
2. How did news organizations in France get their stories?
3. 
Q5:
1. Who was the creator of Reuters?
2. Who brought Reuters into existence?
3. 
Q6:
1. When was Reuters founded in Britain?
2. In what year was Reuters created in England?
3. 
Q7:
1. What was the German version of Reuters called?
2. What was the name of the version of Reuters in Germany?
3. 
Q8:
1. When was Wolff formed?
2. What was the year of Wolff's creation?
3. 
Q9:
1. What places did Havas cover?
2. What regions appeared in Havas's stories?
3. 
Q10:
1. Did Havas keep their stories to themselves?
2. Did Havas neglect to share their news with others?
3. 
Q11:
1. Who did Havas share the news with?
2. Who received stories from Havas?
3. 
Q12:
1. What is the present-day name for Havas?
2. What name has Havas taken on today?
3. 
Q13:
1. Do news agencies refuse payment for their stories?
2. Is it free to receive a story from a news agency?
3. 
Q14:
1. Whats an example of a place that might purchase news from a news agency?
2. What is one example of a place that could turn to a news agency to buy stories?
3. 
