The growth of communication from sign language and drumbeats to the instantaneous transmission of words and pictures around the globe via satellite is a long and fascinating story. After Gutenberg's invention of the movable printing press in 1468 and the emergence of newspapers thereafter, we saw the first signs of mass media. The world witnessed major breakthroughs like the first black and white photograph by Fox Talbot in England in1939, the development of electric telegraphy in the 1850s, the first movie by the Lumiere Brothers in Paris in 1895, the invention of the phonograph by Edison in 1896, the wireless radio by Marconi in 1912 and the first regular television sets and transmission in 1936.
             Today, media has become a social institution whose main function is to inform, analyze and entertain. It is dictated by societal norms and is a mirror of the prevalent cultures and thought processes. It includes within its gamut, various channels of communication like newspapers, magazines, television channels, radio stations, the Internet, news agencies, publishing houses, etc. These media organizations together form the media industry.
             One characteristic of the media industry is that it functions as a people to people dynamic chain. Organization and proper management of this industry are, therefore, essential for success as well as survival. This means the effective application of management principles and techniques through the process of planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling. Media organizations thus create organizational systems and structures to enable the speed and efficiency of all operations. Keeping these requirements in mind, let us focus on an important component of the media industry - the news agency.
             The following aspects will be dealt with:
             · Role and importance of news agencies
             · Organisational structure, revenue generation
             · Hierarchy and departments in a news agency
             These organiz...