The Press Association was founded in 1868 by a group of provincial newspaper proprietors to provide a London-based service of news-collecting and reporting from around the British Isles.
The news agency's founders sought to produce a more accurate and reliable alternative to the monopoly service of the telegraph companies.
A committee appointed to make arrangements for the formation of the organisation said: "The Press Association is formed on the principle of co-operation and can never be worked for individual profit, or become exclusive in its character".
Today, the Press Association is still owned by national and regional newspaper groups and adheres to its original values of speed, accuracy and impartiality. The company supplies multimedia news and information across the media industry.
The Press Association's standing and reputation as a national news agency is unmatched.