German Press Agency

The German Press Agency, generally known by its abbreviation dpa, is Germany’s principal independent news agency. Established in 1949 during the reconstruction of the German media system after the Second World War, it supplies news organizations with reporting, photographs, video, infographics and other editorial services. Its customers include newspapers, broadcasters, digital publishers, mobile and online platforms, and other news agencies. The agency is headquartered in Hamburg and maintains its central editorial office in Berlin. Its German operation includes a national service and regional services covering Germany’s federal states, while its international network extends to dozens of locations abroad. dpa reporting is distributed primarily in German, with additional services in English, Spanish and Arabic. The agency has also operated or tested services aimed at particular language communities, including a short-lived bilingual Turkish-German service. dpa’s business model is based largely on recurring subscriptions, with fees generally scaled according to the size and needs of the customer. Its German news wire publishes large volumes of material across politics, business, sports and general-interest subjects, while its visual operation supplies a substantial daily image offering. Through subsidiaries and partnerships, the wider dpa group also provides picture archives, graphics, information technology, media distribution, business news and press-release services. The agency presents independence from governments, political ideologies and commercial interests, non-partisanship, reliability and accuracy-before-speed as central editorial principles. Its ownership structure is designed to keep control in the hands of media shareholders rather than the state or a single corporate owner. The same market position has nevertheless generated recurring criticism: because many German media outlets rely on its reporting, observers have argued that dpa can influence the national agenda and that concentrated wire-service ownership may create risks of conformity or excessive editorial power. dpa has experienced several historical controversies involving inaccurate or insufficiently verified reports. These episodes led to public criticism, apologies and, in at least one case, strengthened internal sourcing rules. The agency has also faced scholarly criticism of its business and financial-market coverage, although its editor-in-chief disputed the representativeness of the underlying sample. In the digital era, dpa has expanded its fact-checking and verification role. It is certified by the International Fact-Checking Network and the European Fact-Checking Standards Network and participates in international industry cooperation, including work with the Associated Press and other European news agencies. In the 2025 information cited by the reference material, dpa had 692 employees and reported turnover of €107.4 million. Those figures describe the 2025 period and should not be treated as a current-year forecast. The agency remains an active, privately held provider of infrastructure for German and international journalism.

Deutsche Presse-Agentur was created in the immediate postwar period as a cooperative combining the Deutsche Nachrichtenagentur, the Deutsche Pressedienst and the Süddeutsche Nachrichtenagentur. The organization was founded in Goslar on 18 August 1949, and its first transmission went out at 6:00 a.m. on 1 September of that year. Fritz Sänger became its first editor-in-chief and also served as managing director during the agency’s early formation. In 1951, the cooperative was converted into a German limited-liability company. Over subsequent decades dpa became the dominant domestic wire service in West Germany and later reunified Germany. Its role allowed newspapers and broadcasters to cover international events without maintaining correspondents and editors in every location. The agency’s influence grew alongside the expansion of radio, television and, later, digital publishing. The company diversified beyond its core text wire. In 1986 it established Global Media Services, which acquired the cartography company Globus Kartendienst in 1988. The visual business later expanded substantially. Picture Alliance was established in 2002 as a wholly owned dpa subsidiary and developed into a platform through which numerous partner agencies distribute photographic, video and illustrative material. dpa also built a network of subsidiaries and partnerships covering business news, press-release distribution, graphics, information technology, media systems and international services. Its cooperation with Austria Presse Agentur supports dpa-AFX business news, while partnerships with agencies such as the Associated Press, Keystone-SDA and other European organizations broaden the material available to customers. In 2013, dpa began marketing AP services in German-speaking countries. The agency’s physical organization evolved with the media industry. In 2010, the central editorial headquarters moved to Berlin’s historic newspaper district, while Hamburg remained the corporate headquarters. The group maintains German state services and an international presence, with foreign-language editorial operations including English, Spanish and Arabic. A Turkish-German bilingual service announced in 2008 was discontinued after approximately nine months. dpa’s ownership and editorial structure have repeatedly attracted scrutiny. The company is held by a large body of media shareholders, a structure intended to prevent government control or domination by a single owner. Critics have argued that dispersed private ownership does not eliminate the possibility of market power, editorial conformity or disproportionate influence by the editor-in-chief. Since at least the late 1960s and 1970s, commentators have debated whether the agency’s central position gives it agenda-setting power or creates an overly close relationship with political institutions. Accuracy and verification have been another recurring theme. Historical controversies included an incorrect report about Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev’s death in 1964 and a fabricated quotation attributed to Soviet premier Alexei Kosygin in 1966. Later incidents included inaccurate coverage of the 2007 G8 protests, reporting connected with the 2009 Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg controversy and the Bluewater affair. These episodes prompted criticism, apologies and changes to sourcing and verification procedures. A 2010 Otto Brenner Foundation study by Hans-Jürgen Arlt and Wolfgang Storz examined business journalism and financial-market policy coverage from 1999 to 2009. It judged dpa’s contribution highly deficient within the study’s selected material and argued that reporting often created confusion instead of orientation. The dpa editor-in-chief rejected the conclusion as based on a selective and unrepresentative sample. In recent years, dpa has positioned verification and fact-checking as important extensions of its wire-service role. It is certified by the International Fact-Checking Network and the European Fact-Checking Standards Network and remains a member of the European Alliance of News Agencies. The agency continues to operate as an active, privately held supplier of news and media infrastructure.

1. 2015Next media accelerator is initiated

   dpa launches an accelerator and related fund focused on media innovation.

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2. 2013Associated Press cooperation begins

   dpa starts marketing AP services in German-speaking countries.

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3. 2010Editorial headquarters move to Berlin

   The central editorial operation moves to Berlin, while the corporate headquarters remain in Hamburg.

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4. 2002Picture Alliance is founded

   dpa establishes a wholly owned image-platform subsidiary that later distributes material from more than 200 partner agencies.

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5. 1988Globus Kartendienst is acquired

   Global Media Services purchases the cartography service Globus Kartendienst.

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6. 1986Global Media Services is established

   dpa creates Global Media Services as part of its expansion beyond the core news wire.

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7. 1951Conversion into a GmbH

   The cooperative becomes a German limited-liability company.

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8. 1949dpa is founded

   The Deutsche Presse-Agentur cooperative is established in Goslar on 18 August from three predecessor agencies; its first transmission follows on 1 September.

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Independent, non-partisan and accuracy-focused news infrastructure for German and international media organizations.

• dpa German newswireText news service1949

  The core German-language service provides national, regional and international reporting across politics, business, sports and general-interest subjects. The national and state-oriented services support newspapers, broadcasters and digital publishers that need continuous coverage without maintaining a full correspondent network. Customers generally receive the service through subscription arrangements priced according to the size of the media organization.

• dpa foreign-language servicesInternational news service

  dpa supplies news in English, Spanish and Arabic, with editorial production distributed among locations including Berlin, Sydney, Madrid and Cairo. These services extend the agency’s reporting to international customers and audiences. A Turkish-German bilingual service announced for 2009 was tested but discontinued after roughly nine months.

• dpa picture servicesPhotography and visual media

  The visual service provides customers with news photography and other image material, historically including large daily volumes delivered through picture transmission systems. It is complemented by the broader Picture Alliance platform, which aggregates photographs, video and illustrations from dpa and numerous partner agencies.

• dpa-AFX Business NewsBusiness news

  dpa-AFX is a business-news operation associated with dpa and Austria Presse Agentur. It supplies financial and economic reporting for professional and media customers, forming part of dpa’s broader effort to provide specialized editorial services in addition to general news.

• Picture AllianceImage archive and distribution platform2002

  Picture Alliance is a wholly owned dpa subsidiary and a marketplace for photographic, video and illustrative content. It was created as an archive and distribution platform involving several established picture agencies and later expanded to include material from more than 200 partner agencies.

• Fact-checking servicesVerification and editorial services

  dpa has developed fact-checking and verification as a dedicated part of its information offering. The agency is certified by the International Fact-Checking Network and the European Fact-Checking Standards Network, supporting its positioning around source evaluation, accuracy and correction of misinformation.

• 2015Next media accelerator

  Germany · Europe

  dpa initiated the next media accelerator and an associated fund to support startups and experimentation in media technology and journalism.

  Outcome. Established as a media-innovation initiative; the supplied material does not provide further performance figures.

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• 2013Associated Press distribution partnershipStrategy

  dpa sought to broaden its service portfolio and international cooperation in German-speaking markets.

  What changed. The agency began marketing Associated Press services in German-speaking countries.

  Aftermath. The partnership expanded the material and services available through dpa’s customer network.

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• 2010Relocation of the central editorial headquartersStrategy

  dpa reorganized its editorial geography while retaining Hamburg as its corporate base.

  What changed. The central editorial office moved to Berlin’s historic newspaper district.

  Aftermath. Hamburg remained the corporate headquarters and home to major group subsidiaries.

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• 2008Plan for a Turkish-German bilingual serviceStrategy

  dpa sought to address the information needs of people of Turkish origin living in Germany.

  What changed. The agency announced a bilingual Turkish-German service for launch in 2009.

  Aftermath. The service was discontinued after approximately nine months.

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• 2010Criticism of financial-market journalismControversy

  An Otto Brenner Foundation study criticized selected dpa business coverage from 1999 to 2009 as insufficiently informative and confusing. The agency’s editor-in-chief disputed the study’s representativeness.

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• 2009Bluewater affair and sourcing criticismControversy

  Criticism of dpa’s role in reporting the Bluewater affair contributed to new internal rules concerning the sources used for distributed news.

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• 2007Inaccurate reporting on Heiligendamm G8 protestsControversy

  dpa apologized for inaccurate reports relating to protests at the G8 summit in Heiligendamm.

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• 1966Fabricated quotation attributed to Alexei KosyginControversy

  The agency distributed a fabricated quotation attributed to Soviet premier Alexei Kosygin concerning German reunification, prompting criticism of its checking procedures.

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• 1964Incorrect report concerning Nikita KhrushchevControversy

  dpa circulated an incorrect report about the death of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, becoming an early example in public debates about verification and editorial reliability.

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• 2025dpa reports 692 employees and €107.4 million turnover

  Reference material reports that the agency had 692 employees and turnover of €107.4 million in 2025.

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• 2015dpa launches the next media accelerator

  The agency initiated the next media accelerator and an associated fund to support media-related startups and innovation.

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• 2013dpa expands cooperation with Associated Press

  dpa began collaborating with the Associated Press to market AP services in German-speaking markets.

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• 2009Regional newspaper customers temporarily leave dpa service

  Several independent regional newspapers, including Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, temporarily discontinued dpa service before contracts were restored in December 2012.

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1. Deutsche Presse-Agentur
2. Official dpa website