UPI news service

<p><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/United_Press_International">http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/United_Press_International</a></p>

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isa wire service a hub? still an important one?</p>

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===</p>

<p><b>United Press International</b> was purchased in May 2000 by <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/News_World_Communications" title="News World Communications">News World Communications</a>, a <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Unification_Church" title="Unification Church">Unification Church</a>-controlled company. At the time of its purchase, <i><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/NewsMax" title="NewsMax" class="mw-redirect">NewsMax</a></i> was "probably UPI's highest-profile client." <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://conwebwatch.tripod.com/stories/2000/upi.html">[1]</a>

United Press International was established in 1907 and gained a reputation as a pioneering global wire service featuring many of the big names of journalism including <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Walter_Cronkite" title="Walter Cronkite">Walter Cronkite</a> and <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Helen_Thomas" title="Helen Thomas">Helen Thomas</a>.</p>

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On its website UPI states that <b>"our audience has shifted towards decision-makers in the business or policy communities who are reached through multiple distribution channels. We provide insightful and analytical stories</b> that help these end-users make better business or policy decisions. Our journalists strive to give readers the knowledge they need to make decisions by talking to multiple sources and by offering several perspectives of an issue.'</p>

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"Distribution partners provide access to thousands of businesses, policy groups, and academic institutions worldwide. Content is also licensed directly to policy journals and specialty websites with dedicated audiences interested in in-depth content and analysis," the profile states.</p>

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<span style=" background-color: #FFF200;">UPI was at its peak in the 1950's when it had over 5,000 newspaper and broadcast clients. However, the advent of television and the demise of many afternoon newspapers precipitated its decline.</span><b><span style=" background-color: #FFF200;"> In 1958 United Press, as it was then known, merged with International News Service owned by William Randolph Hearst.</span></b><span style=" background-color: #FFF200;"> In 1982 it was sold once more by the </span><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Scripps_Howard_News_Service" title="Scripps Howard News Service"><span style=" background-color: #FFF200;">Scripps Howard newspaper chain</span></a><span style=" background-color: #FFF200;"> for $5 million and in the next decade sold another three times.</span></p>

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"Where it once boasted 1,500 reporters and 200 bureaus around the world, UPI now has a skeletal staff of 157, having lost most of its newspaper clients and sold key assets to <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/AP" title="AP" class="mw-redirect">AP</a> and <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Reuters" title="Reuters" class="mw-redirect">Reuters</a>," <i>The Observers's</i> Melinda Wittstock wrote in May 2000.</p>

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After its Middle Eastern owners sold UPI to <b>Moon's News World Communications, its respected White House correspondent, Helen Thomas, resigned after working for the organisation for 57 years.</b> Wittstock reported that <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Arnaud_de_Borchgrave" title="Arnaud de Borchgrave">Arnaud de Borchgrave</a> unsuccessfully persuaded Thomas to stay on. Thomas herself refused to comment on her resignation other than issuing a media statement wishing UPI and the new owners all the best.

Commenting on Thomas's resignation, the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Washington_Post" title="Washington Post">Washington Post</a>'s media correspondent, Howard Kurtz, described UPI's fall: "no newspaper I read carries UPI stories any more. It's just sad." <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4020437,00.html">[2]</a>

According to the UPI website, in the fall of 2003 the company planned to introduce a "new Spanish language service that will focus on issues that affect the Hispanic community in the United States".</p>

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<td>

<h2>Contents</h2>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/United_Press_International#Personnel"><span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">Personnel</span></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/United_Press_International#Contact_information"><span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Contact information</span></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-3"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/United_Press_International#External_links"><span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">External links</span></a>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/United_Press_International#History"><span class="tocnumber">3.1</span> <span class="toctext">History</span></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-5"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/United_Press_International#News.2Fcomments"><span class="tocnumber">3.2</span> <span class="toctext">News/comments</span></a></li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

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</tbody></table>

<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Personnel">Personnel</span></h2>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Michael_Marshall" title="Michael Marshall">Michael Marshall</a> UPI Editor In Chief</li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Arnaud_de_Borchgrave" title="Arnaud de Borchgrave">Arnaud de Borchgrave</a> UPI Editor at Large</li>

<li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://about.upi.com/journalists/martin_walker_1.jlst">"Martin Walker"</a> UPI Editor, English Language Operations</li>

<li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://about.upi.com/journalists/dalal_saoud.jlst">"Dalal Saoud"</a> UPI Middle East Bureau Chief</li>

</ul>

<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Contact_information">Contact information</span></h2>

<p>United Press International World Headquarters

1133 19th St, NW

Washington, DC 20036

USA

Phone: 1 202 898 8000

Fax: 1 202 898 8057

Web: <a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.upi.com/">http://www.upi.com/</a>

UPI also has offices in Middlesex (UK), Tokyo (Japan), Santiago (Chile), Hong Kong, Beirut (Lebanon) and Seoul (South Korea).</p>

<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="External_links">External links</span></h2>

<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="History">History</span></h3>

<ul>

<li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.auburn.edu/%7Elowrygr/">UPI's Trail of Tears</a></li>

<li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.auburn.edu/%7Elowrygr/history.html">Origins and Early History of UPI</a></li>

<li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.audiocenter.com/downhold/index.htm">Downhold Wire</a></li>

<li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.deadmicrophone.org/">Dead Microphone Club - UPI Radio Network</a></li>

</ul>

<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="News.2Fcomments">News/comments</span></h3>

<ul>

<li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.auburn.edu/%7Elowrygr/nytfnn.html">"NYT Story on FNN's Purchase of UPI in 1988,"</a> <i>New York Times</i>, February 21, 1988.</li>

<li>George Garneau, Ed. & Pub., <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.auburn.edu/%7Elowrygr/e%26p35.html">"Infotech Now Owns UPI,"</a> October 21, 1989.</li>

<li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.auburn.edu/%7Elowrygr/pat5.html">"Middle East TV Network Purchases UPI,"</a> Associated Press Story, June 28, 1992.</li>

<li>Rev. Sun Myung Moon, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.unification.net/1997/970616.html">"True Family and True Universe. Centering on True Love"</a> Founder's Address, 15th Anniversary of The <i><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Washington_Times" title="Washington Times">Washington Times</a></i>, June 16, 1997.</li>

<li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.newsmax.com/articles/?a=1999/7/5/142005">"Arnaud de Borchgrave Joins NewsMax.com Board,"</a> <i>NewsMax</i>, July 5, 1999.</li>

<li>Melinda Wittstock, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4020437,00.html">UPI star escapes Moon's orbit: The agency taken over by Moonies has lost its respected inquisitor of Presidents</a>", <i>Observer</i> (UK), May 21, 2000.</li>

<li>Terry Krepel, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://conwebwatch.tripod.com/stories/2000/upi.html">"Unification Press International. Will the sale of UPI mean a right-wing wire service? Just ask Rev. Moon,"</a> ConWebWatch, May 24, 2000.</li>

<li>Bill Berkowitz, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.mediachannel.org/originals/upi-moon.shtml">Unification Press International? Rev. Moon Adds United Press International To His Media Empire</a>", <i>The Media Channel</i>, September 13, 2000.</li>

<li>Allan Wolper, Ed. & Pub., <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.auburn.edu/%7Elowrygr/moonie1.html">"UPI Will Still Fly Under Own Flag,"</a> May 22, 2000.</li>

<li>Eve Gerber, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.auburn.edu/%7Elowrygr/brill.html">"Looking for a Miracle,"</a> Brills Content, April 2001.</li>

<li>Rory O'Connor, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/22072/">"Toward a 'Faith-Based' Fourth Estate,"</a> <i>AlterNet</i>, May 24, 2005.</li>

</ul>

</div>

<div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Special:Categories" title="Special:Categories">Categories</a>:

<ul>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Category:Media" title="Category:Media">Media</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Category:Newspapers" title="Category:Newspapers">Newspapers</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Category:United_States" title="Category:United States">United States</a></li>

</ul>

</div>

UPI news service

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