EFE

EFE, formally Agencia EFE, S.A., is Spain’s international news agency and one of the most important providers of Spanish-language news worldwide. The agency supplies text, photography, video, audio, data and multimedia services to newspapers, broadcasters, digital publishers, institutions and other media customers. Its reporting covers politics, economics, business, culture, sport, science, health, the environment, tourism and general current affairs across press, radio, television and the internet. EFE was established in Burgos in 1939, at the end of the Spanish Civil War, through the consolidation of elements of earlier Spanish news organizations, particularly the Fabra agency and resources associated with Faro and Febus. The project was promoted by Ramón Serrano Súñer, then Interior Minister in the Francoist government, and journalist Vicente Gállego became its first managing director. Its institutional origin has remained part of the historical discussion surrounding the agency, including debate over the meaning and origin of the name “EFE.” The name is not generally treated as a conventional acronym, and competing historical explanations have linked it to predecessor agencies, Falangist terminology or the initials of organizations associated with its early environment. The agency moved its headquarters from Burgos to Madrid in 1940 and gradually developed a national network before beginning a sustained international expansion. A first delegation in Buenos Aires opened in 1965, followed by broader coverage and distribution arrangements throughout Latin America. EFE later established services in English, French, Portuguese and other language or regional formats, while maintaining Spanish as its principal editorial and commercial language. Its international reach was reinforced through cooperation with agencies and media organizations, including Reuters, United Press International, the European Pressphoto Agency and Central American partners. EFE’s transformation from a traditional wire service into a multimedia information company accelerated from the 1980s onward. It introduced satellite distribution, a Spanish news database, digitized photographic and press archives, international graphic services, online products and specialized editorial brands. These have included Efeagro for agriculture and food, Efecom and Efe-empresas for business, Euroefe for European Union affairs, Efeverde for environmental information, Efefuturo for science and technology, Efesalud for health, Efemotor for transport and Efetur for tourism. The agency also operates editorial and linguistic initiatives, notably the Urgent Spanish service, which evolved into Fundéu, a foundation dedicated to promoting clear and accurate Spanish in the media. EFE is state-owned through SEPI but operates as a news organization serving a broad customer base. Its public role was reinforced when Spain’s State General Budget recognized EFE as a Service of General Economic Interest in 2018. The agency has also received international recognition, including the Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities in 1995 and the Eisenhower Award in 2016. In the 21st century, EFE has continued to combine a large international reporting network with digital distribution, specialist verticals, photographic archives, partnerships and awards. Reference descriptions report roughly 3,000 journalists from around 60 nationalities, operations in more than 180 cities across about 120 countries, and editorial desks in Madrid, Bogotá, Cairo and Rio de Janeiro; these operational figures may change over time.

EFE’s institutional lineage reaches back to Spain’s first news-agency initiatives. In 1865, journalist Nilo María Fabra helped establish the Correspondents Center, which entered into a cooperation agreement with Havas in 1870. The arrangement gave the Spanish organization rights to distribute Havas’s international news in Spain. In 1919, the Fabra agency emerged after Havas became involved in the ownership structure; Havas later withdrew, while several Spanish banks became shareholders. Agencia EFE was formally created in Burgos on 3 January 1939. Legal representatives of Fabra established the new company, which incorporated Fabra’s rights and name and also absorbed technical and human resources from Faro and Febus. This consolidation helped EFE qualify for participation in the international association of allied news agencies, whose rules generally limited representation to one agency per country. Ramón Serrano Súñer promoted the project, while Vicente Gállego, a journalist and former director of Ya, became its first managing director. Celedonio Noriega Ruiz served as the first president. EFE moved to Madrid in 1940 and opened a Barcelona delegation. It developed commercial and technical capabilities during the following decades, including the Comtelsa economic service created with Reuters in 1946 and its first telephotography receiver in 1951. The agency expanded outside Spain in the 1960s, opening its first American delegation in Buenos Aires in 1965 and developing foreign-language and international distribution services. It acquired the Fiel agency in 1968, began small English- and French-language services in 1969, and helped establish the Central American News Agency in Panama in 1972. In 1979, EFE became a full member of the Inter American Press Association. The 1970s brought organizational standardization and a broader single-brand identity. EFE published its first stylebook in 1976 under the guidance of linguist Fernando Lázaro Carreter. In 1977, its headquarters moved to Espronceda Street in Madrid and services previously separated under names such as Cifra, Cifra-Gráfica and Alfil were brought under the EFE name. The agency also created journalism awards, later replaced by the King of Spain Awards. During the 1980s, EFE strengthened its editorial and technological infrastructure. It created the Department of Urgent Spanish in 1981, joined the European Pressphoto Agency in 1984, changed its logo in 1986, launched EFE Data in 1988, established the EFE Foundation and began satellite distribution in 1989. EFE Data became an important Spanish news-information database, while the foundation supported research and training in information sciences. From the 1990s onward, EFE diversified through specialist subsidiaries and digital archives. Efeagro and Efecom appeared in 1990, Euroefe in 1994 and Efeverde in 2010. The agency launched further verticals in 2013, including Efefuturo, Efesalud, Efe-empresas, Efemotor and Efetur. A Portuguese service for Brazil began in 2001, and a Miami editing center was created in 2002 to adapt content for the American market. EFE’s photo archive became digital in 1998, while its international graphic and multimedia services expanded in the 2000s. The agency received the Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities in 1995, jointly with philosopher José Luis López Aranguren. It created the Don Quixote Journalism Award with the King of Spain Award in 2004 and continued to organize exhibitions, language initiatives and international partnerships. In 2014, EFE marked its 75th anniversary with a new Madrid headquarters, exhibitions and conferences. It increased its stake in the European Pressphoto Agency to 49.9% in 2015, began an English multimedia service for Asia in 2017, and participated in the News 4 Europe line with other European agencies. In 2018, its public-service role was formally recognized in Spain’s budget framework. EFE remains an active, state-owned international multimedia news agency.

1. 2018Public-service recognition

   Spain recognized EFE as a Service of General Economic Interest in the State General Budget.

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2. 201475th anniversary and new headquarters

   EFE opened a new Madrid headquarters and held exhibitions and conferences marking its 75th anniversary.

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3. 2001Portuguese service and SEPI transfer

   EFE launched a Portuguese service for Brazil and was transferred to SEPI.

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4. 1995Prince of Asturias Award

   EFE received the Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities.

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5. 1988EFE Data launched

   The agency introduced what was described as Spain’s first news database.

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6. 1984Joins European Pressphoto Agency

   EFE formally joined EPA with a 20% interest.

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7. 1981Urgent Spanish Department created

   EFE established a linguistic department to promote consistent, accurate Spanish in its services.

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8. 1972Central American News Agency formed

   EFE joined Central American media organizations to create ACAN in Panama.

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9. 1968Acquisition of Fiel

   EFE acquired the Fiel news agency.

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10. 1965First American delegation

    EFE opened a delegation in Buenos Aires, beginning a major expansion across the Americas.

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11. 1940Headquarters move to Madrid

    EFE transferred its headquarters to Madrid and opened a delegation in Barcelona.

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12. 1939EFE founded in Burgos

    Agencia EFE was formally established through the consolidation of Fabra-related assets and resources from other predecessor agencies.

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13. 1919Fabra agency created

    The Fabra agency was formed after Havas became involved in the earlier Spanish news-agency structure.

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14. 1870Agreement with Havas

    The Correspondents Center entered a cooperation agreement with the French agency Havas for international news distribution in Spain.

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15. 1865Correspondents Center established

    The organization’s historical lineage begins with the Correspondents Center, regarded as Spain’s first news agency.

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A principal international source of Spanish-language news, combining broad geographic coverage with text, image, video, audio, data and specialist editorial products.

• Text news serviceNews wire1939

  EFE’s core offering distributes continuous reporting across domestic and international news topics. Its text output serves newspapers, broadcasters, websites, public institutions and other professional information users, with Spanish-language coverage at the center and additional language services for selected markets.

• EFE Photographic ServiceNews photography

  The photographic operation supplies editorial images from EFE’s reporting network and maintains a large historical and contemporary archive. The archive became digital in the late 1990s, supporting search, licensing, distribution and multimedia publication.

• EFE Video and MultimediaMultimedia news

  EFE produces and distributes video, audio and integrated multimedia packages for television, radio, websites and digital platforms. Its multimedia model extends the traditional wire service beyond text and photographs.

• EFE DataNews database1988

  Launched in 1988, EFE Data was an early Spanish news-information database. It represents the agency’s move into structured, searchable information products in addition to continuously distributed news copy.

• EfeagroAgriculture and food news1990

  Efeagro is a specialist information service focused on agriculture, food production, agribusiness and related markets. It was created as part of EFE’s diversification into sector-specific journalism.

• EfeverdeEnvironmental news2010

  Efeverde covers environmental issues, climate, biodiversity and sustainability. The service has been associated with specialized environmental journalism, its own editorial guidance and an early emphasis on social-media distribution.

• Fundéu and Urgent SpanishLanguage and editorial services1981

  EFE’s Urgent Spanish initiative was created to coordinate language standards and reduce inconsistent usage in news writing. In 2005 it was replaced by the Urgent Spanish Foundation, commonly known as Fundéu BBVA, which promotes clear and accurate Spanish for journalists and the wider public.

• 2014EFE 75th-anniversary program

  Spain · Latin America

  EFE marked its 75th anniversary with a major commemorative exhibition, more than 30 traveling exhibitions in Spain and the Americas, and conferences involving European, Mediterranean and mobile-information news agencies.

  Outcome. Expanded public and industry visibility for EFE’s historical archive and international role.

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• 2015Increase in European Pressphoto Agency participationM&A

  EFE had participated in EPA since 1984 and collaborated with it on international graphic services.

  What changed. EFE increased its participation in the European Pressphoto Agency to 49.9%.

  Aftermath. The move strengthened EFE’s position in European and international photo-news cooperation.

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• 2001Transfer to SEPIStrategy

  EFE had previously been administered through Spain’s Directorate-General for State Property.

  What changed. Ownership and administrative responsibility were transferred to the state holding company SEPI.

  Aftermath. EFE continued as a state-owned but commercially operating international news agency.

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• 1988Launch of EFE DataProduct launch

  News customers were increasingly adopting searchable electronic information and database products.

  What changed. EFE launched a Spanish news database known as EFE Data.

  Aftermath. The agency broadened its business from real-time wires into archival and structured information services.

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• 1939Consolidation into Agencia EFEStrategy

  Spain’s fragmented pre-existing news-agency structure included Fabra and resources associated with Faro and Febus.

  What changed. EFE was established with Fabra-related rights and incorporated technical and human resources from predecessor agencies.

  Aftermath. The consolidation created a national agency able to represent Spain in international news-agency networks.

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• 2018EFE is recognized as a Service of General Economic Interest

  Spain’s State General Budget formally recognized the agency’s public-interest role and increased its public endowment.

  Regulation
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• 2018Fernando Garea appointed president

  Fernando Garea succeeded José Antonio Vera Gil as president of the agency.

  Leadership change
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• 2018EFE receives formal public-service recognition

  Spain’s State General Budget recognized EFE’s budget as supporting a Service of General Economic Interest.

  Regulation
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• 2014EFE moves to a new Madrid headquarters

  EFE inaugurated a new headquarters on Avenida de Burgos during its 75th-anniversary year.

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• 2013EFE launches specialist multimedia services

  The agency expanded its specialist portfolio with services focused on science and technology, health, business, transport and tourism.

  Product launch
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• 2001EFE is transferred to SEPI

  The agency moved from the Directorate-General for State Property of Spain’s Ministry of Finance to the state holding company SEPI.

  Other
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• 2001EFE becomes part of SEPI

  The agency was transferred from Spain’s Directorate-General for State Property to the state holding company SEPI.

  Other
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1. EFE
2. Agencia EFE official website