N.J.'s Largest Paper Goes Without AP For a Day -- Protest or Test?

By: Joe Strupp Readers of Wednesday's The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J., might note that the paper carries no Associated Press copy, quite unusual for the Advance Publications daily that ordinarily relies on AP for many things. It is unclear if this is a protest of AP's controversial new rates.

Several sources at the paper said this was planned, either as a protest or a way to see if the daily can put out an issue without the world's largest newsgathering source, a possible prelude to dropping AP service to save money as the paper seeks cost-cutting options.

Editor Jim Willse did not return calls seeking comment.

But the lack of AP stories was obvious in the Wednesday edition of the paper, which included reports from staff members, as well as the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, McClatchy-Tribune News Service and several smaller Advance Publication papers in New Jersey.

Another omission: no AP reports in the sports section, which relies heavily on wire copy for out-of-town games and scores. Sportsticker was used predominantly in that section, along with staff reports. Box scores and other sports agate was listed without attribution.

Paul Colford, AP spokesman, sent this response to E&P: "We understand that The Star-Ledger and the media industry as a whole are facing difficult financial challenges and that in this environment many newspapers are experimenting with news priorities and with their presentation of news. The Associated Press has been working with all members of the cooperative, including The Star-Ledger, to determine their needs and to ensure that the AP news report retains its value to them and their readers. Member Choice, the content and pricing initiative rolled out this summer, was in fact developed as a response to member requests for simpler content and pricing options.'

The paper's Web site, www.nj.com, includes some AP copy, but none listed as appearing in the Star-Ledger. The Web site, operated by AdvanceNet, is compiled by a different newsroom and includes content from other Advance publications.

On Thursday, AP stories had reappeared in the paper, but with no explanation for the one-day change.

Was the Star-Ledger's move the latest protest by a newspaper in reaction to AP as the news service implements a rate change beginning in January?

In recent months, several newspapers have announced plans to drop the news service, with at least one -- The Spokesman-Review of Spokane, Wash. -- challenging AP's two-year notice requirement. Other dailies that have already given notice to AP are The Bakersfield Californian, The Star Tribune of Minneapolis, The Post Register of Idaho Falls, and The Yakima Herald-Republic and Wenatchee World, both of Washington.

The recent decisions to drop AP service follow the planned AP rate structure change, which was announced in 2007 and takes effect in 2009. The rate change has already prompted complaints from numerous newspapers, including two groups of editors who wrote angry letters to AP to complain in late 2007 and early 2008.

AP Executive Editor Kathleen Carroll addressed the rate issue during the Associated Press Managing Editors conference in Las Vegas, telling a group of newspaper editors there, "We certainly hope that the basic fundamentals of the economy and the marketplace will firm up enough so that the pressure is off some of the people who own the AP."

FOR MORE, OR TO COMMENT, GO TO the new E&P Blog:

The E&P Pub