Reuters Launches a Strengthened Japanese News Service

Tokyo – Reuters News announces the launch on 1 April of a strengthened Japanese News Service reflecting Thomson Reuters commitment to be the leading financial information company in the world’s second biggest economy.

A wide range of readers will receive new content issued by the 24-year-old Japanese-language news service, including market professionals and private and institutional investors.

The new content will include deeper coverage of market regulators in Japan and internationally, emerging markets, Asian loan markets and Japanese politics. Leveraging the group’s Reuters IFR and DealWatch publications, Reuters Japanese News will include more capital market headlines including deeper coverage of municipal bonds. Through a partnership with Japan’s biggest news agency, Kyodo, Reuters will accelerate the real-time delivery of major macroeconomic data and announcements from the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve.

The enhancements combine with new content introduced over the past several years and underscore Thomson Reuters commitment to Japan at a time when the global group is investing in new digital platforms to grow its business as the world’s leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals.

Thomson Reuters reported an 8% increase in revenue to $13.4 billion in 2008 and raised its annual dividend. The group said it expects revenues to grow in 2009 as it capitalises on opportunities and continues to invest despite a global economic slowdown.

“We are going through dramatic change in financial markets,” said Mark Smith, Thomson Reuters Markets Senior Company Officer in Japan. ”Our customers require now more than ever trusted, relevant and timely news and analysis of domestic and international events. We see a tremendous opportunity to meet this increasing demand.”

Reuters Japanese News, previously called “ReuterScoop”, was launched in 1985 as one of a number of local language news services that complement Reuters global reach and offer customers an insider’s look into key markets and geographic areas.

Reuters Japanese News correspondents and translators issue hundreds of headlines a day, supplemented by insight from third-party contributors. Most of Reuters Japanese News’ more than 12,000 subscribers will now receive an additional 800 daily headlines from Kyodo.

The new content will include increased coverage of Japan’s market regulator, the Financial Services Agency, as well as translation of emerging market news covered by IFR, and of Reuters polls and analysis. The partnership with Kyodo will ensure expanded coverage of the Japanese prime minister’s office and key ministries.

In recent years, Reuters Japanese News has bolstered its coverage of overseas credit markets, foreign exchange, interest rates, emerging markets and investment funds. It has also increased the number of exclusive market polls, including the Reuters Tankan, one of Japan’s most trusted business sentiment indices, and surveys of large corporations and individual investors.

The enhancements to Japanese News coincide with the introduction by Reuters News of a wide range of new multimedia ways of engaging with readers, including blogs in Japanese and other languages, chat rooms, commentary and, soon, financial video.

Reuters opened its first office in Japan in 1872. Thomson Reuters was formed when Thomson Corporation and Reuters, which was started in 1851, combined last year.
About Thomson Reuters

Thomson Reuters is the world’s leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. We combine industry expertise with innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision makers in the financial, legal, tax and accounting, scientific, healthcare and media markets, powered by the world’s most trusted news organization. With headquarters in New York and major operations in London and Eagan, Minnesota, Thomson Reuters employs more than 50,000 people in 93 countries. Thomson Reuters shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: TRI); Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: TRI); London Stock Exchange (LSE: TRIL); and Nasdaq (NASDAQ: TRIN). For more information, go to www.thomsonreuters.com.