FENA

FENA, short for Federal News Agency, is the government-owned national news agency of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was established in 2000 by a decree of the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina to provide news and agency services considered important to the entity. The agency was formed through the merger of two predecessor organizations, BH Press in Sarajevo and Habena in Mostar, bringing their news-gathering and distribution functions into a single federal-level service. FENA is headquartered in Sarajevo and maintains an additional major office in Mostar. Its work is supported by a correspondent network covering Bosnia and Herzegovina, enabling it to report on political, institutional, economic, social, cultural, and other public-interest developments from across the country. The agency serves media organizations and other subscribers while also making information available to the wider public through its digital channels. The agency publishes news primarily in the official languages commonly used in Bosnia and Herzegovina—Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian, often collectively described as BHS—and also provides English-language news. Its output includes general reporting, specialist coverage, event announcements, political-party activities, business and economic information, traffic and weather updates, photographs, video, and live audiovisual signals. FENA.BIZ covers economic events, company and public-relations announcements, and information associated with the Sarajevo and Banja Luka stock exchanges. FENA LIVE extends the agency's role beyond text distribution by providing live video coverage of significant events to customers and the public. FENA's operating model reflects the role of a national or entity-level wire service: it gathers original reports and statements, packages them for professional media use, and supplies material that can be republished or incorporated into newspaper, web, radio, and television output. The agency's daily production has been described as averaging approximately 250 news items, alongside a growing volume of photographic and video material. Its coverage is consequently both a source of public information and an infrastructure service for Bosnia and Herzegovina's media sector. FENA operates in a media environment that also includes the Republika Srpska entity-level agency SRNA, the independent Sarajevo-based agency ONASA, the Catholic KTA BK BiH, MINA News Agency, and the Bosnia and Herzegovina operation of Anadolu Agency. Its professional links extend beyond the country. Since 22 September 2017, FENA has been a full member of the European Alliance of News Agencies and is also associated with ABNA-SE, a regional professional association for news agencies in Southeastern Europe. These memberships connect FENA with broader regional and European news-agency networks while its editorial and distribution focus remains centered on Bosnia and Herzegovina.

FENA was created in 2000 by a decree of the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Its founding purpose was to perform news and agency activities of significance to the Federation, establishing an entity-level public news service in the post-war Bosnian media landscape. Rather than beginning as an entirely new newsroom, FENA was assembled through the merger of BH Press Sarajevo and Habena Mostar, two predecessor agencies associated with the principal urban centers of the Federation. The merger gave the new agency a dual institutional and geographic foundation. Sarajevo became the head-office location, while Mostar remained an important operational center. Over time, FENA developed a correspondent network intended to provide reporting from different parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The agency's coverage therefore extends beyond the Federation's administrative centers to national political, economic, social, cultural, and public-service developments reported from across the country. FENA's core activity is the production and distribution of agency news. Its services are offered in Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian, as well as English. The main news service, Vijesti, provides general reporting, while other services cover daily event schedules, political-party activities, business and economic developments, and practical information such as traffic and weather. The business service, FENA.BIZ, also carries corporate and public-relations announcements and information related to the Sarajevo and Banja Luka stock exchanges. The agency has broadened its traditional text-wire role through visual and audiovisual services. Foto servis supplies photographic material, Video servis records statements and events for television and web publishers, and FENA LIVE provides live video signals from important events. This expansion reflects the changing requirements of news customers, which increasingly need immediately usable multimedia content rather than text alone. FENA has also maintained an English-language news service, extending the accessibility of its reporting to international readers and organizations following Bosnia and Herzegovina. FENA operates alongside several other news providers in the country's plural and institutionally divided media system. These include SRNA, the entity-level agency of Republika Srpska; ONASA, an independent agency based in Sarajevo; KTA BK BiH; MINA News Agency; and Anadolu Agency's Bosnia and Herzegovina operation. FENA's distinctive position is its ownership and mandate within the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, combined with a national reporting footprint and services designed for professional media users. The agency has also pursued regional and European professional integration. On 22 September 2017, it became a full member of the European Alliance of News Agencies, a notable institutional connection for a Bosnian news organization. FENA is additionally a member of ABNA-SE, a nonprofit association linking news agencies from Southeastern European countries. These affiliations place FENA within a wider professional exchange network while its principal editorial mission remains the daily collection and distribution of news about Bosnia and Herzegovina. The available reference material confirms that FENA remains active, publishes a substantial daily volume, and continues to provide text, photographic, video, and live-news services.

1. 2017Membership in the European Alliance of News Agencies

   FENA became a full member of the European Alliance of News Agencies on 22 September 2017.

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2. 2000FENA is established

   The Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina established FENA by decree to provide news and agency services important to the Federation.

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3. 2000Predecessor agencies are merged

   BH Press Sarajevo and Habena Mostar were combined to form the Federal News Agency.

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A federal-level public news agency and professional wire-service provider focused on comprehensive coverage of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with multilingual text, photo, video, and live-news services.

• VijestiGeneral news service

  FENA's main general-news service, covering political, institutional, economic, social, cultural, and other current-affairs developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It forms the central wire output supplied to media and other news users.

• FENA.BIZBusiness and economic news

  A business-focused service covering economic events, company and public-relations announcements, and information connected with the Sarajevo and Banja Luka stock exchanges. It is intended for media and audiences requiring specialized economic reporting.

• Foto servisPhoto news

  FENA's photographic news service, supplying images from events and developments covered by the agency. It complements the text service and supports newspapers, websites, and other publishers that need ready-to-use visual reporting.

• Video servisVideo news

  A video service producing recorded statements and event footage for television outlets and web portals. It extends FENA's agency role into audiovisual content distribution.

• FENA LIVELive video news

  A live-news service through which FENA transmits video signals from important events to customers and the wider public in Bosnia and Herzegovina and internationally.

• News in EnglishEnglish-language news

  An English-language news service that summarizes or reports developments from Bosnia and Herzegovina for international readers, institutions, media users, and others who do not use the country's BHS-language services.

• 2017International professional integrationStrategy

  FENA sought to strengthen its links with professional news-agency networks beyond Bosnia and Herzegovina.

  What changed. The agency joined the European Alliance of News Agencies as a full member and maintained membership in the regional ABNA-SE association.

  Aftermath. FENA gained formal participation in European and Southeastern European news-agency networks while retaining its Bosnia and Herzegovina-centered mandate.

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• 2000Creation of a federal news agency through institutional mergerStrategy

  The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina required an agency capable of providing news and agency services relevant to the entity.

  What changed. The government established FENA by decree and combined BH Press Sarajevo with Habena Mostar.

  Aftermath. The merger created a single federal-level news organization with operations centered in Sarajevo and Mostar and a reporting network covering Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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• 2017FENA joins the European Alliance of News Agencies

  FENA became the first full member from Bosnia and Herzegovina of the European Alliance of News Agencies on 22 September 2017.

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• FENA expands multimedia and live-news services

  The agency developed an increasing volume of photo and video output and introduced FENA LIVE for live video transmission of important events to subscribers and the public.

  Product launch
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1. FENA
2. FENA official website
3. European Alliance of News Agencies