First on euro-zone crisis news

Reuters proved yet again it was the only place for breaking on the euro-zone debt crisis. When markets opened on May 17 after European politicians unveiled a $1 trillion rescue package, Reuters was first to report that euro-zone central banks had begun snapping up government bonds to support the debt market and relieve stress on the euro. Assets rallied strongly across the board on Monday in relief that officials were tackling the crisis head on. Reuters has consistently set the tone for euro-zone coverage. A sampler of earlier coverage: We were six minutes ahead of the competition on May 4 to knock down market rumours that Fitch was set to strip Spain of its triple A credit rating, getting an exclusive interview with the agency. The story pushed the euro upward and lifted Spanish stocks off their lows. We were alone the next day interviewing the Irish Finance Minister who spelled out funding and budgetary plans, plus spillover risks from Greece, for the country that had once been seen at greatest risk of debt blowout. We had an exclusive interview on May 7 with the head of Norway’s sovereign wealth fund who said he had been buying European sovereign debt for months to help stabilize the market – rare word of a buyer.