TASS

The Russian News Agency TASS, or simply TASS, is a Russian state-owned news agency that was founded in 1904. It is the largest news agency in Russia and one of the biggest in the world. TASS is owned by the Government of Russia and is based in Moscow.

During the time of the Soviet Union, TASS was called the Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union. It was the main source of news for all Soviet newspapers, radio, and television. After the Soviet Union ended, the agency was renamed Information Telegraph Agency of Russia (ITAR-TASS) in 1992, but it went back to using just the name TASS in 2014.

Today, TASS creates almost 3,000 news stories each day in six different languages. It also shares about 700 pictures and videos from reporters all over Russia and the world. The agency has offices in many places, including 70 in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, as well as 56 offices in 53 other countries.

History

The Russian News Agency TASS started in December 1902 as the Commercial Telegraph Agency. It changed names a few times over the years. In 1925, it became the Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union, known as TASS. TASS gathered and shared news both inside and outside the Soviet Union.

TASS had news agencies in all the Soviet republics. In 1992, after the Soviet Union broke up, TASS was renamed the Information Telegraph Agency of Russia. In 2014, it went back to its old name, the Russian News Agency TASS.
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Organization

TASS is owned by the Government of Russia and is a big news agency with offices in Russia and around the world. It has its main office in Moscow and many places where it shares news.

The TASS press center in Moscow holds many important events each year with leaders from Russia and other countries. TASS also helps with big meetings and shows in Russia and other places. The main TASS building in Moscow was built in 1977 and some people worry about changes to its look.

Controversies and criticisms

TASS has been mentioned as sharing untrue stories as part of efforts by Russia to influence other countries.

Russian invasion of Ukraine

Further information: Disinformation in the Russian invasion of Ukraine

On 27 February 2022, a group of news agencies from Europe decided to stop working with TASS because they felt TASS was not sharing fair and balanced news during a difficult time for media freedom in Russia. TASS’s leader said they were still a trustworthy and independent news group. Later, in September 2023, the group did not remove TASS completely, so TASS remained suspended but not kicked out.

In March 2022, a picture agency stopped working with TASS because they felt TASS was not following good rules for sharing news.

As of March 2022, some examples of untrue stories shared by TASS about the conflict in Ukraine include:

• TASS shared a false statement from a Russian leader saying that Ukraine’s president had left the capital city. The president showed messages, videos, and pictures on social media to show this was not true.
• TASS shared claims without proof that Ukraine was planning something very dangerous with nuclear materials.

Directors of TASS

Here are the people who have led TASS over the years:

• M. Fedorov (1902–1904)
• Pavel Miller (1904–1906)
• Sergey Trubachev (1906–1907)
• Alexander Gris (1907–1910)
• Oskar-Ferdinant Lamkert (1910–1917)
• Leonid Stark (1917–1918)
• Lev Sosnovsky (1918–1919)
• Platon Kerzhentsev (1919–1921)
• Nikolay Smirnov (1921)
• Iosif Goldenberg (1921–1922)
• Jacob Doletzky (1922–1937)
• Yakov Khavinson (1937–1943)
• Nikolai Palgunov (1943–1960)
• Dmitry Goryunov (1960–1967)
• Sergey Lapin (1967–1970)
• Leonid Zamyatin (1970–1978)
• Vladimir Khatuntsev (1978–1979)
• Sergei Losev (1979–1988)
• Leonid Kravchenko (1988–1990)
• Lev Spiridonov (1990–1991)
• Vitaly Ignatenko (1991–2012)
• Sergei Mikhailov (2012–2023)
• Andrey Kondrashov (2023–present)

Notable journalists

Some well-known journalists who worked for TASS include Ștefan Foriș, who reported on events in Romania, and Vsevolod Kukushkin, who covered ice hockey and sports for over 22 years.