The use of digital files improves photo quality and speed of transmission.

The jury of the 19th Bayeux-Calvados War Correspondents Prize rewards AFP photojournalist Aris Messinis.

AFP announces the disqualification of Ben Johnson at the Seoul Olympics two hours before all others.

AFP has 25 bureaus across France, 46 overseas, and 13 in French overseas territories. It has correspondents in 116 countries and provides news in 73 countries.

Sammy Ketz shares the Albert
Londres Prize with Libération
colleague Sorj Chalandon for his
coverage of the 6-year civil war in
Lebanon.

AFP journalists can transmit their production from the field via Inmarsat. This 40 kg piece of equipment is very useful when there are no telecommunications links, particularly in war zones.

AFP Photo Services

First use of a portable photo scanner for the digital transmission of captioned images. The Dixel replaces the Belinograph. The photographer no longer has to transport a complete darkroom weighing 50 kg to print photos on paper - necessary for transmission by Belinograph. The Dixel is one of the first 35mm scanners that can be carried in a small box. That year AFP beats all its competitors in photo distribution.