FACT CHECK: No, The Rothschild Family Does Not Own Reuters And The Associated Press
A post shared on Instagram claims the Rothschild family owns Reuters and the Associated Press (AP).
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Verdict: False
There is no evidence the Rothschild family owns Reuters or AP. Reuters is owned by the Thomson Corporation and the AP is a non-profit cooperative formed by various newspapers and broadcasters.
Fact Check:
The Instagram post features a picture of Jacob Rothschild, the 4th Lord Rothschild, and text that claims his family owns two of the largest news agencies in the world. “There are 6 media companies that exist today, but there used to be 88,” the post claims. “All 6 get their news from Reuters and the Associated Press. Reuters owns the AP and Rothschilds own Reuters.”
While the post is partially correct that six companies control about 90 percent of American media, according to Business Insider and Motley Fool, there is no evidence to suggest the Rothschild family owns any major news agency, including Reuters or AP. Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to corroborate the Instagram post’s claim.
AP is described as an “independent global news organization” on its website. The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research explains the outlet is “neither privately owned nor government-funded” but rather a nonprofit cooperative owned by “American newspaper and broadcast members.” (RELATED: Is Klaus Schwab Related To The Rothschild Family?)
“AP is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative, owned by no one,” said Lauren Easton, an AP spokesperson, in an email to Check Your Fact. “Reuters has nothing to do with AP.”
Reuters is owned by Thomson Reuters, a Canadian information news company, according to Britannica. The agency’s 2021 Annual Report stated its principal shareholder is Woodbridge Company Limited, which owns 67 percent of the company’s shares. David Thomson is the chairman of both Thomson Reuters and Woodbridge, which is his family’s investment company.
“Reuters is an independent news organization that operates as part of Thomson Reuters, a publicly traded company that is majority owned by The Woodbridge Company, a holding company for the Thomson family,” said a Reuters spokesperson in an email to Check Your Fact. “Reuters and Thomson Reuters have no affiliation with the Rothschild family.”
The Rothschild family is frequently the target of conspiracy theories. Check Your Fact recently debunked a claim that the family shares a coat of arms with the Russian Federation.
Update: This post has been updated to include the comment from Reuters.
