AP question

Does AP earmark certain games as high priority, thus tasking writers with churning those out quicker, or do some of these AP writers just suck at getting their stories out quickly? I'm dyin' here.

(currently talking about college football, of course)

 

Doesn't your paper do the same thing? Prioritize stories, I mean. And have some writers that are better and faster than others?

 

I can hear the conversation in AP New York now: "Forget Oregon walloping Cal, look at what Northeastern Southwestern did to Show-me State!"

 

Some of us don't have additional writers, better or faster.

 

They're all SUPPOSED to file within a certain time after each game. I think first story is due within 10 minutes of it ending, then an hour for writethru, then another time for third story.

But they use so many stringers now, they've lost their way a little. I wouldn't want to have to do their job but I don't think AP has ever been worse. And try asking them for something sometime. It's not a fun experience.

 

Like an agate resend, perhaps?

 

or even just a harmless question about when they expect something to move on the wire.

they treat their "clients" like airlines do passengers.

but anyone who claims AP's not still essential to newspapers is mistaken. you can come up all the partnerships you want but someone's gotta collect and code all that agate, for starters.

where have you gone, UPI ...

 

Thing is, especially for stuff coming out of SPT, your local buro has no clue.

It's scary how short-staffed an AP buro is on a Saturday. When I worked there, it was me and the editor - that was it. Not in a local AP buro for sports, but the entire state wire. If anything was breaking, he had to do that, too.

If it's in NY, the local buro has no idea, and calling them doesn't do any good. Yeah, they can call NY, but they get the same results anyone else does. It doesn't help.

Everyone's short-staffed, everyone's working as fast as possible. It's painful, but AP's not immune to cutbacks OR poorly-written copy (from staff or stringers).

 

The worst is an agate resend.

 

These days, many local buros are closed entirely on weekends. The one you are most familiar with closes Saturday night and opens again Monday morning. In the meantime, the phones are forwarded to the new Central desk in Chicago.

 

Its not even that, I'm talking about games within the SEC. Certain gamers were out within 15 minutes of game's end. Certain other 17-inch gamers took 45+ minutes. Didn't make much damn sense at all.

 

My favorite line to hear from AP is, "Well, just get it from AP Exchange."

Riiight.