ANI (Asian News International) is a New Delhi-based multimedia news agency that supplies text, photos and video to television channels, newspapers and digital publishers in India and South Asia. An ANI press release is a company announcement distributed through ANI’s network so that subscribing media can see it and choose whether to carry it. Because ANI is especially strong in video and pictures, releases that come with good visuals and a clear news angle tend to suit it best. As with any wire, publication by other outlets is their own editorial decision.
ANI at a glance
- Founded: 9 December 1971 by Prem Prakash, initially under the name TVNF, a television news feature agency.
- Headquarters: New Delhi, with a newsroom operating around the clock.
- Specialism: it was the first agency in India to syndicate video news and is widely used by television channels for news footage.
- International links: Reuters bought a stake in ANI in 1993; in December 2022 it reduced that stake to comply with India’s limit on foreign investment in news media, and the two renewed their content partnership.
- Coverage: politics, business, health, technology, entertainment and regional news from across South Asia.
How an ANI press release reaches media
- Your announcement is written as a factual news release.
- It is submitted for distribution and reviewed before acceptance.
- Once distributed, subscribing publishers can view it in their feed.
- Websites that carry partner content may publish it, usually marked as a press release.
- Editors and journalists may use it as a starting point for their own coverage or contact you for more.
Distributed releases are separate from ANI’s own reporting, and the agency does not take editorial responsibility for the claims a company makes in them.
ANI and PTI compared
- Ownership: PTI is a non-profit cooperative owned by Indian newspapers; ANI is a privately owned company.
- Strengths: PTI is traditionally strong in text news for newspapers; ANI is especially strong in video and pictures for television and digital media.
- Choosing: for text-heavy business or policy news, PTI is often a natural fit; for announcements with strong visuals, events or broadcast potential, ANI can suit well. Some campaigns use both.
Preparing visuals for an ANI release
- High-resolution photos of the product, launch event, team or location, with captions naming people and places.
- Short video clips, such as a product demonstration, spokesperson statement or event highlights, shot steadily in landscape format.
- A logo file and approved headshots for quoted spokespeople.
- Permission to use every image and clip, including music and people who appear on camera.
Good visuals give editors a reason to use your story and make it easier to publish on digital platforms.
What makes a strong ANI press release
- A genuine news angle: a launch, partnership, expansion, funding, award or event.
- A clear, factual headline without exaggeration.
- The key facts in the first paragraph, followed by supporting detail.
- A quote from a named spokesperson that adds meaning.
- Accurate names, dates, places and figures that can be verified.
- A short company description and a reachable media contact.
Timing your release
- Distribute on a working day morning, when newsrooms are planning their coverage.
- Avoid clashing with major national events, budget days or elections, when attention is elsewhere.
- For events and launches, send the release soon after the moment happens, with fresh photos or video.
- If you share news with journalists in advance, agree an embargo time and state it clearly at the top.
- Make sure your spokesperson is available on the day to answer follow-up questions.
What to expect, and what not to expect
- Expect: distribution to a wide media network, a pickup report showing where the release appeared and copies on websites that carry partner content.
- Do not expect: a specific television segment, a news story written by ANI journalists or ranking benefits from keyword-rich links, which Google’s spam policies treat as link spam in distributed releases.
Publish the release on your own website as well, and follow up with targeted pitches to journalists in your sector. For writing, distribution and pitching support, see PR and press release services.