AP Headquarters: 50 Rockefeller Plaza,
New York, N.Y. 10020
Editor's Note: Millions of people worldwide find out about the news via the Associated Press, which feeds copy and pictures to a plethora of media houses all over the world every day. Its radio, photo and print operations are immense, however, and it can take weeks to understand the intracies of how each site operates. Your best bet is to send pitches to the regional assignment desk or by contacting individual reporters - and beat editors - to uncover how you can best serve their needs on an industry-specific basis.
| SECTIONS | EDITORS | DAYS TO CONTACT/ DAYS TO AVOID | METHODS | COMMENTS |
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National News It's safe to surmise that a lot of what falls under this description has that hard-news zing or that just-breaking tone. But AP has earned its reputation in the business because it hasn't been partial in the way it has approached news: AP is known for being on top of news as mainstream as the National Transportation Safety Board's hearings on the crash of Flight TWA 800 to zany happenings in rural pockets of the globe. |
News Editor at D.C. Office David Morris Assignment Desk: 202/776-9405 Fax: 202/776-9570 Address: 2021 K Street, NW, Suite 600 Washington, D.C. 20006 | Because there's no way of predicting the news, it's equally as tough for these editors and reporters to keep to a specific schedule, but mornings are generally super hectic since a lot of planning goes on then. AP's a 24-hour operation so there's always a warm body who can be tracked down. (Unlike a lot of places that send you into the universe of voice mail, these journalists actually went and found Morris so we could speak with him. But remember: we had set up an interview the day before.) | The pitch methods, and parameters, are as follows: if it's "pressing," pick up the phone and call the assignment desk. (AP prides itself on being the first to break a story so you'll be a PR commodity if you learn how to help AP beat it beat its competitors. If it's not an immediate item, stick to faxes or snail mail. | If we could present a "Helpful - and Patient - Editor of the Year Award," we'd definitely nominate Morris. Not only was he charming given that he's farming out story ideas, leads and assignments to a staff of about 120 on a split-second basis, he wasn't the least bit snippy about PR folks. Even his two main suggestions were deftly delivered: No. 1, understand that AP can't cover everything; and No. 2, do your homework and send one release to the right person (instead of duplicates to editors who haven't the foggiest idea why you're approaching them). "We get things mailed to people who haven't worked here for 15 months." he adds. |
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New York City Desk The news these editors want should be tied to, or about, New York City (the five boroughs and nearby areas, i.e., Long Island, Rochester). Sports and business news are handled separately. |
News Editor of City Desk at N.Y. Office: Julie Rubin Assignment Desk Fax: 212/621-1679 | Trying to find a down time for these folks is like trying to find a newspaper that didn't cover the nanny trial. Luck may count for a lot when it comes to building bridges with this AP office. | You can fax, call or mail but we'd advise faxing based on our touch-and-go phone experiences with these journalists. Engaging these editors in conversation was difficult and they're somewhat pithy to outsiders. | This operation's based on two news cycles each day - one for evening newspapers and one for morning newspapers. Copy for the p.m. deadline is usually wrapped up around 12:30 or 1 p.m., and at around midnight or 1 a.m. for the morning crunch. |
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