AP, Germany’s DPA sign distribution agreement

The Associated Press and Germany’s largest news agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur announced Wednesday they have signed an agreement to distribute each other’s stories and photos.

The news organizations said in a joint statement that the arrangement, expected to become effective on January 1, calls for DPA to distribute AP photos and stories in Germany and Austria and text in Switzerland.

The AP will have access to DPA coverage of Germany and Austria and will represent DPA photos for sale in markets outside of Germany, Austria and Switzerland, it said.

Gary Pruitt, president and chief executive of US-based AP, said the deal “assures that AP’s content will continue to reach the many customers and news consumers who value it, and that we also receive timely and important content from DPA to distribute.”

Michael Segbers, president and CEO of DPA, said: “It has always been important to us to provide as many news sources for the media as possible. This is why we are very much looking forward to the cooperation with our American partners.”

The announcement comes weeks after Germany’s second biggest news agency DAPD declared bankruptcy. Earlier this week DAPD said it would shed one-third of its workforce or about 100 employees, as it continues restructuring talks.

DAPD was formed in 2010 as a result of a merger of the DDP agency and the German service of AP.