International News Service
Encyclopedia
International News Service (INS) was a U.S.-based news agency
(newswire) founded by newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst
in 1909.
Established two years after the Scripps family founded the United Press Association, INS scrapped among the newswires. The Hearst newsreel
series Hearst Metrotone News
(1914–1967) was released as International Newsreel from January 1919 to July 1929. Always a distant third to its larger rivals the Associated Press
and the United Press Association, INS combined in 1958 with United Press to become United Press International
(UPI). New York City's all-news radio station, WINS
originally took its name from INS.
Among those worked for INS were future broadcasters William Shirer, Edwin Newman
and Irving R. Levine
, who in 1950 covered the outbreak of war in Korea for INS. Marion Carpenter
, the first woman national press photographer to cover Washington, D.C. and the White House, and to travel with a US President, also had worked for the INS.
, Hearst's INS was barred from using Allied telegraph lines because of reporting of British losses. INS made do by allegedly taking news stories off AP bulletin boards, rewriting them and selling them to other outlets. AP sued INS and the case reached the United States Supreme Court.
The case was considered important in terms of distinguishing between upholding the common law
rule of "no copyright in facts", and applying the common law doctrine of misappropriation through the tort
of unfair competition. In International News Service v. Associated Press
of 1918, Justice
Mahlon Pitney
wrote for the majority in ruling that INS was infringing on AP's "lead-time protection", and defining it as an unfair business practice. Pitney narrowed the period for which the newly defined proprietary right would apply: this doctrine "postpones participation by complainant's competitor in the processes of distribution and reproduction of news that it has not gathered, and only to the extent necessary to prevent that competitor from reaping the fruits of complainant's efforts and expenditure." Justice Louis D. Brandeis wrote a minority opinion, objecting to the court's creating a new private property right.
News agency
A news agency is an organization of journalists established to supply news reports to news organizations: newspapers, magazines, and radio and television broadcasters. Such an agency may also be referred to as a wire service, newswire or news service.-History:The oldest news agency is Agence...
(newswire) founded by newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst was an American business magnate and leading newspaper publisher. Hearst entered the publishing business in 1887, after taking control of The San Francisco Examiner from his father...
in 1909.
Established two years after the Scripps family founded the United Press Association, INS scrapped among the newswires. The Hearst newsreel
Newsreel
A newsreel was a form of short documentary film prevalent in the first half of the 20th century, regularly released in a public presentation place and containing filmed news stories and items of topical interest. It was a source of news, current affairs and entertainment for millions of moviegoers...
series Hearst Metrotone News
Hearst Metrotone News
Hearst Metrotone News was a newsreel series produced by the Hearst Corporation, founded by William Randolph Hearst.-History:...
(1914–1967) was released as International Newsreel from January 1919 to July 1929. Always a distant third to its larger rivals the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
and the United Press Association, INS combined in 1958 with United Press to become United Press International
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
(UPI). New York City's all-news radio station, WINS
WINS (AM)
WINS , known on-air as "Ten-Ten Wins", is a radio station in New York City, owned by CBS Radio. WINS's studios are in the combined CBS Radio facility at 345 Hudson Street in the TriBeCa section of Manhattan, and transmitting towers in Lyndhurst, New Jersey.WINS is one of the nation's oldest...
originally took its name from INS.
Among those worked for INS were future broadcasters William Shirer, Edwin Newman
Edwin Newman
Edwin Harold Newman was an American newscaster, journalist and author.-Early life and education:Newman was born on January 25, 1919 in New York City to Myron and Rose Newman. His older brother was M. W. Newman, a longtime reporter for the Chicago Daily News. Newman married Rigel Grell on August...
and Irving R. Levine
Irving R. Levine
Irving Raskin Levine was an American journalist and longtime correspondent for NBC News. During his 45-year career, Levine reported from more than two dozen countries. He was the first American television correspondent to be accredited in the Soviet Union...
, who in 1950 covered the outbreak of war in Korea for INS. Marion Carpenter
Marion Carpenter
Marion A. Carpenter, also known as Marion Anderson , was the first woman national press photographer to cover Washington, D.C. and the White House, and to travel with a US President. She broke the gender role stereotype in the 1940s but left Washington in 1949 after her second marriage.After...
, the first woman national press photographer to cover Washington, D.C. and the White House, and to travel with a US President, also had worked for the INS.
International News Service v. Associated Press
During the early years of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Hearst's INS was barred from using Allied telegraph lines because of reporting of British losses. INS made do by allegedly taking news stories off AP bulletin boards, rewriting them and selling them to other outlets. AP sued INS and the case reached the United States Supreme Court.
The case was considered important in terms of distinguishing between upholding the common law
Common law
Common law is law developed by judges through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive branch action...
rule of "no copyright in facts", and applying the common law doctrine of misappropriation through the tort
Tort
A tort, in common law jurisdictions, is a wrong that involves a breach of a civil duty owed to someone else. It is differentiated from a crime, which involves a breach of a duty owed to society in general...
of unfair competition. In International News Service v. Associated Press
International News Service v. Associated Press
International News Service v. Associated Press, 248 U.S. 215 , is a United States Supreme Court decision that upheld the common law rule that there is no copyright in facts and developed the common law doctrine of misappropriation through the tort of unfair competition...
of 1918, Justice
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
Mahlon Pitney
Mahlon Pitney
Mahlon Pitney was an American jurist and Republican Party politician from New Jersey, who served in the United States Congress and as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.-Biography:...
wrote for the majority in ruling that INS was infringing on AP's "lead-time protection", and defining it as an unfair business practice. Pitney narrowed the period for which the newly defined proprietary right would apply: this doctrine "postpones participation by complainant's competitor in the processes of distribution and reproduction of news that it has not gathered, and only to the extent necessary to prevent that competitor from reaping the fruits of complainant's efforts and expenditure." Justice Louis D. Brandeis wrote a minority opinion, objecting to the court's creating a new private property right.
Further reading
- Harnett, Richard M. and Billy G. Ferguson, UNIPRESS: United Press International--Covering the 20th Century, Fulcrum Publishing, 2003