Bucharest, March 27 /Agerpres/ – The AGERPRES National News Agency marked, on Wednesday, 135 years since its establishment, within a conference dedicated to digital challenges in contemporary journalism, which took place in the hall of the “Carol I” Central University Library in Bucharest.

The director general of the AGERPRES National News Agency, Claudia Nicolae, emphasized, in the opening of the conference, that, since 1889 the Romanian National News Agency has continued to inform the public.

“Artificial intelligence has begun to surpass us – news can be created in a second. Who helps us convey further to our audience what the real news is? I think that would be the question of this year and of the future of our profession, which surely will not end. Ultimately, the machine cannot have emotion, conscience or responsibility. Objective and real news is about responsibility. We, journalists take responsibility, day by day, for the information we publish,” said Claudia Nicolae.

The director general of the Central University Library, professor PhD.

Mireille Radoi, co-organizer of the event, highlighted that the 135th anniversary of the establishment of the “prestigious” National News Agency AGERPRES is an occasion not only to acknowledge the “rich history of a remarkable institution, but also the important contribution with regards to promoting culture and knowledge in Romania and worldwide”.

For his part, Prince Radu thanked for the collaboration with AGERPRES. “I want to tell you how much it means to Her Majesty and to me, just as it meant to King Mihai and Queen Ana this permanent association between you and us in our endeavors to strengthen Romania and to strengthen the Republic of Moldova and to carry on the covenant of our descendants”, said Prince Radu.

Messages on the anniversary of AGERPRES were sent by the ambassadors of the U.S., Italy, Israel and Bulgaria to Romania, Kathleen Kavalec, Alfredo Maria Durante Mangoni, Reuven Azar and Radko Vlaikov.

The U.S. ambassador appreciated the AGERPRES photo exhibition opened in the Central University Library’s lobby, which includes images from the most important events from which AGERPRES transmitted, archive photos with a real historical value. The American diplomat expressed her gratitude for the contribution of AGERPRES with photos that highlight the rich history of relations between the U.S. and Romania in the traveling photo exhibition ‘We the People’/’Noi, Poporul’.

The ambassadors of Italy and Israel, Alfredo Maria Durante Mangoni and Reuven Azar, spoke about objective information, vital for democracy, about manipulation and disinformation in the context of the war in Ukraine and the conflict in Gaza, about the regulation of digital space, as well as about the “critical” role played by national news agencies in democratic societies in Romania, while the Bulgarian ambassador in Bucharest, Radko Vlaikov, highlighted the importance of the collaboration between AGERPRES and BTA, two institutions of countries with a common history, in providing objective information.

A video message was sent by the president of the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA), Fabrice Fries, who emphasized that “journalism is a profession that has a future in the age of artificial intelligence, because field work cannot be done by machines”.

According to the secretary general of EANA, Alexandru Ion Giboi, former director general of AGERPRES, “correct information, information delivered on time is becoming more and more important”. ”The role of AGERPRES in providing correct information is fundamental for Romanian society,” said Giboi.

On March 27, 2024, it is 135 years since the establishment of the first “Romanian, national and autonomous” news agency, with the title of the Telegraphic Agency of Romania or the Romanian Agency. Over time, it went through numerous changes, which also entailed other names. For 40 years, until 1989, the Romanian News Agency was called “Agerpres”. Between

1990-2008 it was the National News Agency ROMPRES and then, since 2008, the National News Agency AGERPRES.