Interfax and RIA Novosti launch joint project on content support for regional media outlets

Russia‘s two leading news agencies, Interfax and RIA Novosti, are implementing a joint project on providing content support to regional media outlets under the aegis of the Russian Mass Communications Ministry, the Guild of Periodical Publishers, as well as Russian mass media associations.

Under the project, implemented by Interfax and RIA Novosti on a parity basis, the two news agencies will form the so-called Federal Information Package (FIP), a newswire of key socially significant nationwide news stories (approximately 50-60 stories per day), including official information, nationwide social and economic news, international news, and incidents. The news posted on the FIP will be accompanied by multi-media materials - photo, video and infographics.

The parties have agreed that the FIP will be provided free of charge to the regional and primarily socially significant regional media outlets (newspapers, television channels, radio stations, Internet media outlets). FIP will be delivered by a secure protocol through the www.fedpaket.ru web-terminal, which can be accessed through individual login and password.

Mikhail Komissar, Chairman of the Interfax International Information Group Board of Directors, said: "Russian media outlets are faced with serious financial problems as a result of the economic crisis and have to cut their spending on external content. Federal news is the primary ‘victim‘ of such spending cuts by Russian regional media outlets, as a result of which there is a risk of the common nationwide news space being broken. Being well aware of the entirety of their social responsibility, the leading players on the regional media market are interested in keeping it intact."

Svetlana Mironyuk, chief editor of RIA Novosti, said for her part: "We are willing to temporarily support the market players to help them get through the hard times, and at the same time appreciate the high quality of the products and news standards of the industry‘s two flagships."

"This is a revolutionary project," she said, regarding the aid program for regional media outlets.

"It is the first time that two competitors are making a joint news package," Mironyuk said.

*** The Interfax Information Services Group provides news and other information products that are essential for decision-makers in politics and business. Its products and services include news reports, stock exchange information, analysis, searchable data bases, business references on companies, ratings and rankings, credit reports, services in IT and information disclosure, organization of press conferences and posting e-advertising.
Interfax has created a family of analytical software products - IFX, EFIR, SPARK and SCAN - which provide efficient solutions in risk management, marketing, and decision making.
The Group‘s particular area of strength is its unique expertise in gathering, processing, storing and disseminating original, quality information, creating innovative delivery solutions, and its long-standing reputation as an objective, credible and independent source of news.

RIA Novosti is a Russian multimedia news agency, one of the most authoritative and professional sources of the latest news in Russia and abroad. Each day RIA Novosti distributes social, political, economic, scientific, financial news in Russian and major European and oriental languages via the Internet, electronic communications and mobile networks. The multimedia news portal in 14 languages, www.rian.ru, is one of the most visited and quoted news resources in Russia, containing the latest news from Russia and worldwide, exclusive photos and videos, analysis and comment on hot topics, graphic news - infographics, cartoons, video, interactive online conferences, readers‘ comments, quizzes and audience voting, and mobile content.