APS, Algeria's News Agency, was founded on December 1st, 1961 in the wake of the national liberation war to be its standard-bearer on the world media scene. Its first hand-typed news with the national flag's colours was then taken up by all the foreign media of the time.
As a strong supporter of the November 1954 Revolution, APS settled soon after the cease-fire at the Kasbah of Algiers, a historical place and the Mecca of the resistance during the war. The agency was getting itself actively prepared to the post war period, i.e. reconstruction of the country, consolidation of national sovereignty, not to mention its duty of solidarity with other third-world liberation movements.
Following the Independence, APS temporarily settled in a maisonette at Krim Belkacem Boulevard, improving its editorial office, setting its network throughout the country and acquiring its first technical equipment, which endowed the agency with a status conferring on it the mission of a public-service broadcasting network. In the meantime, it started training journalists, technicians and operators.
On April 1st 1963, the agency, which moved to a building at Ernesto Che Guevara Boulevard where it stayed for over 30 years, got its telegraphic news broadcasting underway and connected to the main world agencies. It also extended its network of regional bureaux and invested in its representations abroad. Its expanding photography service at the time enabled APS to spread pictures of Algeria's wide reconstruction process using the "Belino" system.
On November 19th 1985, APS became a public institution with economic missions, endowed with social and cultural dimensions. On April 20th 1991 it became a public institution with an industrial and economic status endowed with the prerogatives of a public organization.
In January 1993, the agency moved to its new headquarters in Kouba and was entirely involved in the battle of new technologies. This is how on January 1st 1994 it launched its first computerised editorial office, and on April 25th 1995 started delivering its news automatically.
On February 18th 1998, APS inaugurated its Web , having been hosted the previous year by the Research Centre in Scientific and Technical Information (CERIST).
On July 5th 1998, both of the 's pages in Arabic and the Agency's Online products were launched. This marked the starting-point of a new stage that would position the agency among the world leaders of news and communication.
In November of the same year, APS launched its broadcast via satellite, which would help the agency diversify its service range. From then on, its clients would have the possibility to get remote and real time access to its data banks, its à la carte specialised services, its digital pictures and computer-graphic products.
At the agency's central editorial office, the news is collected by 12 chief editorial staffs: the political, social, cultural, sports, regional, investigations and reporting, business, data banks, international, translation and Internet departments.
At the regional level, and since January 1st 2009, the news is collected by a network of correspondents gathered around 4 regional managements:
- The Eastern Regional Management, is based in Constantine and covers the provinces of Constantine, Batna, Annaba, Skikda, Jijel, Oum El Bouaghi, Tebessa, Souk Ahras, El Tarf, Mila, Khenchela, Biskra, Guelma, Setif , M'sila and Bordj Bou Arreridj.
- The Western Regional Management is based in Oran and covers the provinces of Oran, Tlemcen, Saida, Sidi Bel Abbes, Mostaganem, Tiaret, Tissemsilt, Ain Temouchent, Relizane, Mascara and Chlef.
- The Southern Regional Management is based in Ouargla and covers the provinces of Ouargla, Adrar, Tamanrasset, Illizi, Tindouf, Naama, Laghouat, Bechar, Ghardaia, El Oued and El Bayadh.
- The Central Regional Management is based in Blida and covers the provinces of Blida, Tipaza, Boumerdes, Tizi-Ouzou, Bejaia, Bouira, Djelfa, Ain Defla, Medea.
Overseas, the agency is represented in 12 capitals:
