Interfax remained the most frequently cited name among Russian and CIS media outlets in 2007

Interfax has assumed the first place as the most frequently cited news agency among Russian and CIS media outlets, according to research conducted by Integrum, a major Russian print and e-media database.

Integrum focused its research on six leading news agencies active in Russia: Interfax, ITAR-TASS, RIA-Novosti, Reuters, Regnum and Prime-TASS. The goal of the research was to determine the general trend in the frequency with which news agencies are cited, as well as a trend in agency reference in various news medium.

When counting the number of references, Integrum took into account the number of publications containing both stories on the activity of the object of research, and stories containing references to it (according to Interfax…, Reuters reports…, etc.).

According to research of Russian and CIS media, bar the Internet, Interfax, with 93,564 references, came first in the number of references, leaving behind RIA-Novosti, with 49,240 references and ITAR-TASS (43,570 references).

Interfax was also recognized as the most frequently cited news agency in the Central Russian Newspapers and Magazines category, with 11,443 references (ITAR-TASS took second place with 4,930 references, and RIA-Novosti was third with 4,911 references) and in the Regional Press category, with 11,528 (RIA-Novosti took second place, 9,901, and ITAR-TASS took third place, 6,056).

In the CIS Press category, Interfax also emerged as the sole leader, with a total of 46,748 references. RIA-Novosti was second with 8,317, and ITAR-TASS was third with 4,473.

In the Internet category, Interfax was second, with 233,250 references; while RIA-Novosti came first, with 385,438 references, but only in this category, Integrum said in its commentary. ITAR-TASS took third place with 139,220 references in the category Internet.

"Leaving out the Internet category from the rating of total agency reference in media looks quite logical," SCAN (The System of Comprehensive Analysis of News) project manager Alexei Kirpikov said, commenting on the Integrum research results. "The citing frequency on the Internet depends largely on the marketing policy of an agency. In particular, until now Interfax and some other agencies have restricted free distribution of their news in the Internet and so they behaved differently from RIA-Novosti which published considerably more information with free access," he said.

*** Integrum was created in 1996. Its media bank is the largest in Russia and contains more than 400 million digital materials from 7,500 sources: federal and regional publications, radio stations, websites, libraries and databases.

***Interfax Information Services Group provides news and information products essential for decision-making in politics and business. Established in 1989, Interfax Group comprises a network of national, regional, and specialized news agencies operating throughout Russia and the CIS countries, as well as in China and Central Europe.

Since the early 1990s, Interfax has been the main provider of real-time news from Russia and the CIS. It is the most frequently quoted source of information about the region. Interfax is now also a leading provider of business news from China and the emerging markets of Central Europe.

The Group includes companies and divisions that provide news, analytical services, market data, as well as offering and developing software solutions for financial markets.