United Press International (UPI) is a privately owned worldwide news service. The service distributes news, photographs, and videos to thousands of clients. Its clients include newspapers, radio and television stations, news magazines, cable television outlets, and Internet sites in many countries.
United Press Associations was formed in 1907 by Edward Wyllis Scripps. In the 1930’s, United Press established a network of news bureaus throughout the world. In 1958, United Press merged with International News Service to form United Press International.
The E. W. Scripps Company sold United Press International in 1982 to Media News Corporation. In 1984, the British news agency Reuters (now Thomson Reuters) purchased UPI’s foreign photo service. At around the same time, UPI, which had been experiencing financial problems, filed for reorganization under United States bankruptcy laws. The company was sold several times in the 1980’s and 1990’s. In 2000, the service was purchased by News World Communications, Inc., a newspaper publisher based in Washington, D.C., that is owned by the Unification Church. The size of UPI’s operation has been much reduced from earlier times.
