Russian News & Information Agency RIA Novosti is Russia’s leading media holding with a rich 70-year history.

The RIA Novosti holding comprises the eponymous Russian News & Information Agency, PRIME Business News Agency, RAPSI Russian Legal Information Agency, R-Sport Sports News Agency, Moskovskiye Novosti Publishing House publishing newspapers in Russian and English (The Moscow News), RIA Rating Analytics Agency, press centers in Russia and abroad as well as over 70 online resources in 14 languages. As of April 2012, the total audience of these websites exceeded 20 million unique visitors per month (GoogleAnalytics).

Millions of people around the globe read, watch and listen to the agency’s reporting every day. The RIA Novosti brand is inextricably linked with the modern history of Russian media. The media holding’s success is rooted in its innovative approach to journalism, dedication to best practice, its professional team and systematic development.

A survey by American research company comScore listed the RIA Novosti website www.ria.ru among the top ten electronic media outlets in Europe in July 2011.

Mission

RIA Novosti’s mission is to offer timely and comprehensive coverage of events in Russia and abroad, based on accurate and objective reporting, to Russian and international audiences.

Strategy

The media holding seeks, first and foremost, to expand the presence of RIA Novosti and its brands on the Russian and international media landscape, to integrate into global information processes and to develop ties with international media outlets, media experts and media and communications associations. The agency also strives to expand and develop its network of offices abroad, in particular its information centers which include news bureaus and multimedia press centers.

Audience

RIA Novosti’s long-term clients include the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation, the Government of the Russian Federation, the Federation Council, the State Duma, ministries and federal agencies, regional governments, international media, major corporations, diplomatic missions and public organizations.

Unlike many information agencies which distribute information only to other media outlets, RIA Novosti also delivers news to the end-user.

The agency’s target audience includes international media, businesses, investment companies and banks, foreign governments and agencies and individuals interested in news from a variety of fields. The agency has a rapidly developing technological framework and highly professional staff, making it possible to relay information in the most convenient format.

Corporate ethics

RIA Novosti’s work is guided by clear ethical standards. Its employees value their professional reputation and work in a transparent and forthright manner. The agency and other organizations within the media holding build relationships with their employees on the foundation of long-term cooperation and mutual respect.

RIA Novosti’s editorial staff is interested in publishing timely, unbiased and accurate reporting and adheres to the following principles:

• Always remember that accuracy is the main principle of journalism
• Always be prompt in delivering information but not at the price of accuracy
• Always present balanced and unbiased reporting
• Always seek out exclusive information
• Always be truthful with readers, superiors and sources
• Never distort information

Facts and figures

The RIA Novosti information agency is the core of the larger media holding. It is an acclaimed and widely cited source of up-to-the-minute and verified information. The agency maintains over 50 newswires daily and covers social and political news, the economy, science and sports. The agency has a wide network of correspondents in 69 Russian cities and 49 countries. The media holding has offices in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Belarus, and bureaus in other CIS and Baltic states.

RIA Novosti covers events in Russia and abroad in real time through both traditional and modern formats. Readers can participate in quizzes, polls, contests, discussions and submit their own multimedia content.

The RIA Novosti media holding has pages on numerous social media sites (Facebook, Vkontakte, Google+, Odnoklassniki, LinkedIn, Twitter, Futubra, Pinterest, Instagram and Foursquare). The RIA Novosti Facebook page is among the top three Facebook media pages in Russia (according to SocialBakers) with over 470,000 subscribers as of April 2012.

RIA Novosti has a reputation as the leading developer of information applications for various media channels. The agency’s exclusive content is formatted for LCD screens in public places, mobile television, mobile and tablet devices and devices supporting iOS, Anroid, Symbian, Windows Phone 7, MeeGo and Bada operating systems.

RIA Novosti developers have created and launched 13 mobile applications providing a wide range of users with immediate access to the latest news.

RIA Novosti also operates Russia's most extensive photo service with a huge online photo archive of more than 1 million photographs on various topics (politics, culture, sports, arts, social life, historical events etc.). The agency’s photo journalists, who work throughout Russia and in 49 foreign countries, have contributed unique photographs that depict various aspects of life.

RIA Novosti is working hard to enhance its video content production. In 2011, the agency produced and published some 20,000 videos including news reports, programs and live broadcasts. Videos have been viewed over 30 million times, up 50% since 2010. Video content is produced in Russian, English, German, French, Spanish and Arabic.

The RIA Novosti International Multimedia Press Center, founded in 1991, is one of the most visited media centers in Russia. In terms of the number of media events held, the RIA Novosti press center in Moscow is the unparalleled leader in the information services market. The five halls of the International Multimedia Press Center can accommodate up to 600 people simultaneously. Over 1,500 news conferences are held at the press center annually, featuring high-ranking officials, businessmen, artists, scientists, athletes and representatives of public and political associations in Russia, as well as foreign guests. The RIA Novosti press center includes a network of multimedia press centers in Russia and abroad. The press center’s video linkups, news conferences, briefings, roundtables and interactive online conferences moderated by RIA Novosti journalists have been highly acclaimed.

RIA Novosti also operates a corporate training center that has become a unique educational platform for employees and partners of the media holding.