03/21/08

AP Press Release

AP announces World Spanish Desk

NEW YORK -- The Associated Press has announced the creation of the World Spanish Desk, consolidating and reorganizing AP's Spanish-language staff to benefit members and subscribers in the United States and Latin America who receive AP news in Spanish.

The former Spanish Online desk and the former Spanish print translation desk, known as LPA, have been merged into the single operation. The World Spanish Desk, with staff in New York and Mexico City, is led by Ricardo Reif in New York, who reports directly to Deputy Latin America Editor Luis Alonso at AP's Latin America news hub in Mexico City.

"By pooling our resources, this will allow us to provide faster and more complete coverage to all clients taking AP news in Spanish," said Niko Price, the AP's Latin America editor.

To increase AP's ability to cover topics relating to Hispanic communities in the United States, the AP has also created two new Spanish-service reporting jobs, with Gisela Salomon covering Miami and Edwin Tamara covering Los Angeles. Their stories, some of which are also used on English lines, contribute to the overall work of AP's Miami and Los Angeles bureaus.

The AP is also creating a Spanish-service position to cover Spain, based in Madrid. Veteran correspondent Nestor Ikeda will continue to cover Washington news for the AP's Spanish service.

Staffers of the new World Spanish Desk file copy, including Spanish headlines and linked Spanish-captioned photos, to both print and online clients.

AP also retains a team of Spanish-language reporters and editors across Latin America who continue, as before, to produce an original Spanish-language news report that is available to subscribers in the region and to AP members who choose to receive it in the U.S.

"These changes will allow us to provide expanded coverage in Spanish for online and print customers in the United States and across the world," said Kevin Walsh, U.S. Regional Vice President/West.

About The AP
The Associated Press is the essential global news network, delivering fast, unbiased news from every corner of the world to all media platforms and formats. Founded in 1846, AP today is the largest and most trusted source of independent news and information. On any given day, more than half the world's population sees news from AP.

On the Net: www.ap.org

Contact: Jack Stokes, AP Corporate Communications, 212.621.1720