Press Releases

06/13/2009

AP to publish investigative news from nonprofits


NEW YORK (AP) — The Associated Press will make investigative stories from four nonprofit news organizations available to its member newspapers beginning in July.

The six-month trial is aimed at giving newspapers across the country — many of which have been forced to pare staff as advertising revenue declines — readier access to in-depth investigative stories, which are often expensive and time-consuming to produce.

"It will make it easier for editors to find this content and it will make it easier for these organizations to get directly into newsrooms," said Sue Cross, an AP senior vice president.

The nonprofit investigative organizations — ProPublica, the Center for Investigative Reporting, the Center for Public Integrity and the Investigative Reporting Workshop — will contribute stories to the roughly 1,500 U.S. newspapers that collectively own the AP.

Those groups already distribute material through various news outlets. Now their stories will be sent through AP's Web-based distribution system, AP Exchange, giving newspapers a way to search articles by topic. For now, that leaves out the broadcast and online organizations the AP also serves, as well as newspapers abroad, because they do not use AP Exchange.

Stories will be sent under the producing group's name and will not carry fees for newspapers wishing to use them. The groups retain the copyright on the stories, as well as any liability for libel and other issues.

The move expands the footprint of nonprofit journalism as a growing number of civic-minded organizations step in to help fill gaps left by staff cutbacks at newspapers.

The nonprofit model is one alternative being explored as the traditional, for-profit newspaper business model comes under assault from Web sites that offer free content to readers and lower rates to advertisers.

"We think it's a good move by the AP," Richard Tofel, ProPublica's general manager said. "Our agenda is to get the greatest possible impact for our stories."

The AP is a not-for-profit news cooperative. Founded in 1846, it services about 5,000 radio and television station members and a growing number of online outlets besides newspapers.