Télam

Télam (an acronym for "Telenoticiosa Americana") was an Argentine government-ran national news agency founded in 1945 by then Secretary of Labor Juan Perón during the presidency of Edelmiro Julián Farrell.

The service was suspended in March 2024 by the government of President Javier Milei. It provided news and information to about 300 subscribers, including government entities and national and international media, which is operated as a state enterprise. Milei alleged that the agency operated as a "Kirchnerism propaganda spreader". It was also stated that Télam "had losses for AR$20 billion (some US dollar 23 million)". At the moment of the closure, Télam had 750 employees.

In July 2024, Télam was officially dissolved, being renamed "Agencia de Publicidad del Estado S.A.".

History

Télam was established as "Telenoticiosa Americana" (American Telenews) on April 14, 1945, by an initiative of Vice President Juan Domingo Perón, with the purpose to compete with US agencies such as United Press International and the Associated Press. At its inception it started as a public-private partnership, in a joint venture between government and private capital. Its first director was Gerónimo Jutronich, who was tasked with forming a team of journalists, some of which came from ANDI, another state agency created in 1944.

The new agency started disseminating information on October 12, 1945, but not until 1948 was able to form a national-coverage network, after signing the first contracts with journalists from the country's interior. These acted as correspondents for the headquarters in Buenos Aires by telegram or telephone. The normal growth process of the company was interrupted by the military coup overthrowing Perón in 1955.