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Topic: Letters Sent to Romenesko
Date/Time: 9/30/2008 2:57:27 PM
Title: "I am not angry with the Associated Press"
Posted By: Jim Romenesko
 
From STEVEN A. SMITH: editor, Spokesman-Review: As one of the editors who already has dropped AP, I would like to respond to Dean Singleton's characteristic dismissal of those who see a very real life after AP.

This is not a personal issue for me. I am not angry with the Associated Press. I disagree with its strategic direction and I mourn the loss of strong regional AP reporting, at least in my part of the country. But that's not the whole story. And although I an clearly I am distressed at budget and staff cuts at my paper and elsewhere, I do not blame AP for the conditions that force such cuts. AP is not my "whipping boy."

My goal has been clear from the start. I have wanted to save jobs at my newspaper. Keeping AP at the rates charged for content that does not meet my readers' needs means laying off more local staff, journalists responsible for producing the local news that is our franchise.

Now Mr. Singleton has never shown much interest in maintaining strong local news staffs. He talks about supporting strong local journalism. I've heard him. But the record tells the real story. With the possible exception of the Denver Post, he has gutted newspaper after newspaper, leaving gray shadows, lingering ghosts of once fine, even great news organizations. Of course, in Singleton's world, AP is a bargain. It's far cheaper to fill your papers with AP copy than local reporting.

But the fact is there are better and cheaper options to the Associated Press. There is better Washington reporting from a number of alternative services and syndicates. There is better national reporting. There is better regional reporting. There is better financial reporting. There are alternatives for sports and for photo. For readers of my newspaper, the changes will be far less noticeable than the changes resulting from staff cuts. So, we are moving ahead with our plans, not to teach AP a lesson, but to save our local franchise.

Now, dropping AP is not going to save my newspaper from further staff reductions. The times won't allow that. But reductions, as they may come, will be less egregious. We will still be able to serve local readers with local news and employ a multi-platform strategy.

I wish AP well. No hard feelings. But for me, and for many editors out there, many of whom are not in a position to speak openly, it is time to move on. [Permalink]

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