Founded in 1846, the not-for-profit Associated Press distributes its news stories to other news outlets. But are free online sites putting those outlets at risk?
This week the Associated Press wrote that a “crisis” in local and state news reporting “shows little signs of abating” — and that it’s now setting up “a sister organization that will seek to raise money” for those outlets.
The organization, which will have a board of directors independent of the AP, will solicit philanthropic spending to boost this news coverage, both within the AP and through outside organizations, the news outlet said Tuesday. “We feel we have to lean in at this point, not pull back,” said Daisy Veerasingham, the AP’s president and CEO. “But the supporting mechanism — the local newspaper market that used to support this — can’t afford to do that anymore.” Veerasingham said she’s been encouraged by preliminary talks with some