The president of AGENCE France-Presse (AFP) He described his plans on Friday to reduce costs at the news agency with a retirement incentive scheme and a reduction in spending on expatriate journalists.
Fabrice Fries warned last month that the group needed to save 12-14 million euros ($ 13.8-16.1M) by the end of 2026 due to a drop in income.
Speaking to employee representatives today, he said he hoped to save 4-5 million euros a year with a retirement incentive plan in which 50-70 employees would leave and would not be replaced.
Costs linked to AFPThe foreign network of journalists would also be reduced by around 3 million euros a year, or around 10 percent of the total, he said.
This would be achieved by reducing the number of works with conditions of expatriates, which generally include housing benefits and school rates.
“AFP He is committed to expatriation, “said Fries, but” not at any price. “
An experienced journalist who works in Germany in conditions of expatriates costs the same as four early career reporters used locally, he added.
Financing cost savings measures would require “external financing,” he said. That could mean taking a loan from the French state, rescheduing existing debt payments or a bank loan.
AFPOne of the world’s largest news agencies with 2,600 employees worldwide, has been affected by a current world recession in the media industry, as well as several short -term factors.
The fears of a global recession have led many clients to enter the “wait and see” mode and delay investment decisions or reduce their budgets, Fries explained last month.
The financing cuts of the United States Government under President Donald Trump have also reached AFP clientele. Some of them, like Voice of AmericaThey have been forced to cancel their subscriptions.
The social networks giant Facebook has also completed its fact verification program in the United States, for which AFP He was an important paid partner.
After seven years of growth, AFP The income will fall this year to around 8 million euros less than the prognosis in the budget, according to management.
AFP It is one of the three general news agencies in the world, together with the United States Associated press AND CANADIENS OF PROPERTY Reuters.
It produces news, photos, videos and graphics for media companies around the world in six languages.
Together with its commercial income, the agency also receives funds from the French State, which amounted to 118.9 million euros in 2024.
