When major newspaper chains Gannett and McClatchy announced in March that they would no longer include Associated Press articles in their publications, there was a collective cry of disbelief in newspaper newsrooms across the country.
The Associated Press and some of the early news collectives have provided newspapers with a steady stream of reliable and objective national and international news coverage since before the Civil War. AP articles now routinely appear in American daily newspapers and some weekly magazines, with notable exceptions being Mr. Gannett's more than 200 newspapers and Mr. McClatchy's 30 newspapers.
So why did Mr. Gannett and Mr. McClatchy suddenly take such unexpected action?
Of course it's money.
Newspapers are members of the Associated Press and pay for the right to publish articles. AP member newspapers may also feed articles to his AP for distribution to his entire AP membership of print publications, broadcast operations, and even individuals. And AP is a nonprofit organization.
Gannett and McClatchy wanted to reduce operating costs. Eliminating AP services was a subtle and sweeping way to cut the budget. It was far less disruptive than initiating further staff layoffs or buyouts, which have become almost routine at both companies.
Dumping AP is certainly within the purview of an organization's budget officer. Mr. Gannett and Mr. McClatchy are caught in the same downward spiral in advertising revenue that many newspapers and newspaper chains have been in for decades. But what's frustrating about this is that money previously spent on AP membership fees (which give newspapers access to AP articles for reprinting) is now being used to cover stories for the benefit of readers. It is a statement that it will be used to improve the quality of distribution.
As if.
A number of people who believe Gannett and McClatchy's former AP dues will be used to improve quality may hold meetings in phone booths. It's OK if you can find a phone booth.
Worse, even if the intentions were truly sincere, how could one hope to be as thorough as the Associated Press, which has journalists from every state and staff from nearly 100 countries? For readers of these two chain newspapers, national and international news coverage is almost non-existent. And what is actually printed is not as accurate, professional, or timely as what the AP provides.
During my first few years as a newspaper reporter, an editor at the Associated Press San Francisco bureau who was familiar with my work encouraged me to apply for a reporter position. I was surprised. He praised me. Associated Press articles are the gold standard for journalists and aspiring journalists.
Most news writing is heavily influenced by AP. The Associated Press Stylebook and Media Law Overview is the go-to reference for most journalists. I was given a copy on my first day on the job, with instructions to check it often and memorize a lot of the material.
I realized that if I got hired by the Associated Press, I wouldn't be working in San Francisco. Most likely I'll be sent to Chicago or some very scary AP outpost in rural West Virginia. I decided that my two young children would be better served by pursuing so-called community journalism in a small town.
Like the Finger Lakes Times.
Community journalism has a clear focus on local news. However, as is the case with many newspapers and the Finger Lakes Times, it is understood that national and international news must also be published, even in small amounts. Therefore, it uses AP and other wired services as a supplement.
By presenting a balanced news product with a clear bias on what matters locally, our readers are well served and better informed.
I'm concerned that Gannett and McClatchy newspapers have lowered the prices of their news products to the point where subscribers are abandoning their newspapers at a ruthless rate, similar to how newspaper chains withdrew from the Associated Press. .