ABOUT PTI FACT CHECK  

Press Trust of India (PTI) is India’s most premier, largest, and oldest news agency with a vast network of more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers, covering almost every district and small town in India. PTI not only has a nation-wide coverage, but also globally through its network of correspondents posted in all the major world capitals.

With a legacy of 72 years of service, PTI is recognized as India’s most trustworthy, unbiased, and credible source of news. It has been a core contributor towards building a free and fair press in the country. On its golden jubilee in 1999, then President K R Narayanan said: "We got independence in August 1947. But independence in news and information we got only with the establishment of PTI in 1949. That is the significance of PTI..."

PTI Fact Check is a dedicated fact-checking unit within our editorial department. Accuracy, integrity, ethics, and unbiased reporting have been our core pillars ever since our founding in 1949. Hence, fact-checking is deeply embedded in our day-to-day editorial operations and has always remained integral to the DNA of the organization. In addition to our dedicated team of fact-checkers, we rely on a vast network of journalists, stringers, and subject matter experts across various topics to source and verify claims and publish fact-checks investigations.

Press Trust of India is set up solely for collecting and distributing news and applies its income or accumulation to collect or distribute news. PTI, owned by several newspapers, has been getting income tax exemption under Section 10(22B) of the Income Tax Act, 1961, since the assessment year 1994-95. As per the Income Tax Exemption under Section 10(22B) of the Income Tax Act, 1961, any income of a notified news agency, set up in India solely for collection and distribution of news is exempt from tax provided that the news agency applies its income or accumulates it for application solely for collection and distribution of news and does not distribute its income in any manner to its members. However, no exemption shall be available w.e.f. Assessment Year 2024-25.

Funding

The PTI fact-checking operation is part of The Press Trust of India, a not-for-profit, private limited company, owned by a group of Indian newspapers, who are also its subscribers. PTI was formed in February 1949 when Indian newspapers joined hands to take over the operations and management of the Associated Press of India and the Indian outlets of the Reuters news agency of Great Britain.

PTI is self-funded through its source(s) of revenue which is the subscription model for dissemination of news. PTI earns its revenue from licensing content to its hundreds of subscribers comprising newspapers, TV broadcasters, websites, mobile apps, and other clients. The PTI Fact Check team is funded by PTI’s general news budget. PTI does not accept donations from any Political Party.

Non-Partisanship Policy

PTI has been steadfast in its commitment to unbiased news reporting for 72 years. It does not support any political party, directly or indirectly and never takes sides in a national or international dispute. This is reflected in its daily body of work with every story being transparent in its sourcing, objective and reflecting no opinion. It ensures that its staff is not affiliated to any political party or organization. Its employees are told to refrain from:

• campaigning, wearing symbols or attire that represents a political view
• participating in any demonstration for a political cause
• influencing colleagues or campaigning to vote for a particular political party
• sharing political literature in print, digital or any other form or use of company equipment for printing, copying, or communicating political literature or views in any form