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Minnesota Associated Press Association

Business Meeting

Jan. 24, 2007

Sheraton Bloomington Hotel

 

 

Present: President Kelly Boldan , West Central Tribune; First Vice President Dana Yost, Independent of Marshall; Third Vice President Randi Kallas , Post-Bulletin of Rochester; at-large member Kathi Nagorski , Brainerd Dispatch; Minnesota AP Chief of Bureau Dave Pyle, News Editor Doug Glass and Administrative Assistant Quierston Shepherd.

 

Boldan called the meeting to order. The minutes of the May 25, 2006, meeting were approved.

 

BUREAU REPORT

 

Pyle began by introducing Shepherd, who joined Minnesota AP in late November. He said the role of AP administrative assistants is changing to emphasize wire orders, marketing and promotional work, and members likely will hear from Shepherd more than they have from her predecessors.

 

Pyle noted the bureau had recently made a slight change in weekday hours, starting the night supervisor shift 30 minutes earlier. From Monday through Thursday, the bureau now closes at 1:30 a.m., he said.

 

Glass explained a major change in the way Minnesota AP pursues enterprise, from a weekend-oriented focus to a system that moves AP's original work to members in most cases as soon as it's ready. The idea, he said, is to push enterprise closer to the news and make sure that AP is working to advance the top news in the state. These stories are branded as AP Centerpieces, a tag that is used on some national wires and has been used in some other states. Centerpiece stories will always move with display art and layering devices.

 

Glass also spoke briefly about other bureau goals for 2007, including targets for multimedia production and FOI work, and training goals including multimedia and AP NewsBreaks .

 

Boldan asked whether AP members might someday soon share multimedia projects with one another. Pyle said video sharing is at the heart of the Online Video Network but did not think sharing of complete multimedia projects was imminent.

 

Pyle touched briefly on a couple of factors likely to affect bureau operations through 2007. The Minneapolis bureau held one position open through the last four months of 2006, he said, and it wasn't clear when it would be permitted to fill the job. The bureau has sought to fill the opening with a backup business writer. Second, AP bureaus have been cautioned that spending will be very tight throughout the year.

 

Yost said he hoped AP wouldn't cut back on its strong Capitol coverage.

 

Pyle also noted that Minneapolis would not have an intern this summer, the first time in several years it would not be training a college student. In response to a question, Pyle clarified that the AP program doesn't historically place interns in all bureaus; rather, a limited number of successful applicants are placed in bureaus around the country.

 

OLD BUSINESS

 

The board discussed follow-through on an issue raised at the May meeting: Whether the AP news contest should be updated in several areas. Boldan said he would send an e-mail to all board members to discuss at least three areas:

 

--whether photos run online, but not in a printed paper, should be eligible;

--eligibility of photos run in niche publications;

--whether a special category should be set up to recognize online-only content, such as blogs .

 

Boldan said he would aim to have ideas to present to the board at the May meeting.

 

Pyle said efforts to create a Web-based entry process for the photo contest had to be delayed until the next contest year.

 

NEW BUSINESS

 

Awards banquet: Pyle said the annual awards banquet would be held May 25 at The Depot in Minneapolis . Several possible speakers were discussed: National Guard Adjutant General Larry Shellito ; a political analyst; an online guru; Red Lake Tribal Chairman Floyd Jourdain Jr.; and astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn -Piper.

 

Pyle and Glass promised to circulate an e-mail to the full board soliciting other ideas.

 

Jobs fair: The date of the annual AP jobs fair was set for Oct. 20, with venue to be determined. (The date was later changed to Saturday, Oct. 13, to accommodate availability of Coffman Union at the University of Minnesota )

 

The meeting was adjourned.

 

 

 

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