AP celebrates "Moments in Time"

By Vincent Van Ross

THE story of news agencies began with the Associated Press in 1848. The invention of the telegraph by Samuel Morse revolutionised news communication by demolishing the barriers of distance. But, telegraphic costs were so exorbitant that no newspaper could afford it on its own. That brought together 10 representatives from six newspaper publishers in New York to find a solution.

They decided to pool their resources to produce a single telegraphic report on each news item which could be used by all of them. And,...the concept of news agency and the world’s first news agency, AP (short for "Associated Press"), were born! This year Associated Press turned 150.

The sesquicentenary celebrations of Associated Press began with a multimedia demonstration and an exhibition at the Newseum at Arlington, Virginia, near Washington on January 21, 1998. Speaking on this momentous occasion, AP President and Chief Executive Officer, Louis D. Boccardi, said: "The history of modern journalism is the history of Associated Press. We look forward to celebrating our own history — of our time — in this special year-long celebration".

Ever since its inception, Associated Press has been at the forefront of newsphoto, radio and television journalism. It’s been a leader ushering in and adapting to the latest in newsroom, newsphoto, news communication, radio and video technologies.

From the days of dots dashes of Morse codes to bits and bytes of computerised newsrooms; from the days of teletypes to satellite transponders and the Internet; and, from the days of bulky, unwieldy cameras to compact filmless cameras and electronic darkrooms which place pictures at the disposal of the subscribers within 10 minutes of clicking, Associated Press has come a long way. Today, Associated Press is the largest news organisation in the world in terms of coverage and reach.

With 237 news bureaus worldwide, Associated Press serves 1,700 U.S. newspapers, 6,000 U.S. radio and television stations and 8,500 international subscribers who receive AP news and photos. About 210 international broadcasters receive AP’s global video news service through APTV and AP’s sports joint venture SNTV. AP’s business wire in collaboration with Dow Jones, AP-Dow Jones, is distributed to subscribers in more than 40 countries.

Associated Press puts out news reports 24 hours a day, seven days a week in six languages (English, German, Swedish, Duch, French and Spanish). AP’s news reports are translated into many more languages by international subscribers and distributed to local dailies.

On the whole, Associated Press churns out 20,000,000 words and distributes 1,000 photos and hundreds of graphics a day worldwide. This bears out what the renowned American novelist, Mark Twain, said about the AP in 1906.

He said: "There are only two forces that can carry light to all corners of the globe and only two — the sun in the heavens and Associated Press down here".

The world has changed a great deal since 1848. But, AP’s commitment to accuracy, fairplay and speed in news reporting remains unchanged. Sixtyone men and women comprising 19 writers and 42 photographers have won for AP, 43 Pulitzer prizes — 18 for writing and 25 for pictures.

This is the highest tally of Pulitzer prize for any news organisation in the world. The Pulitzer Prize, instituted in 1917, is rated as the highest award for excellence in journalism and photo journalism in the world.

AP’s commitment to its worldwide subscribers places heavy responsibilities on its shoulders. Sometimes tough decisions have to be taken on coverage of events involving great danger. Peter Arnett, the best known war reporter of our times and a former AP staffer, is surprised that "AP has always managed to find staffers willing to serve its needs, whatever the risk".

So far, Associated Press has lost 23 journalists on assignments across the world beginning with Mark Kellogg who rode to his death with the 7th Cavalry covering the battle at Little Big Horn in 1876. The last one to go was Farkhad Kerimov, an APTV videographer, who was shot and killed covering the war in Chechnya.

Journalists in South Asia might remember Sharon Herbaugh, former News Editor at the New Delhi Bureau, who took over as the Islamabad Bureau Chief later. She was killed in 1993 in a helicopter crash in the Central Afghanistan mountains after covering the Afghan civil war and its aftermath for three years. Sharon was the first AP newswoman and bureau chief to die on assignment.

On the 150th anniversary of its founding day on May 14 this year, Associated Press honoured these 23 journalists by placing them on its honour roll. AP bureaus around the world observed a one-minute-silence as a mark of respect to their colleagues who departed from this world in the service of news. Associated Press is always on a hot pursuit of news. AP reporters and photographers have witnessed every significant news event in the world since 1848.

AP opened its bureau in New Delhi in 1942. But, long before that in 1932, when the AP reporter, Jim Mills, met Mahatma Gandhi at a railway station around midnight, Gandhiji recognised Jim and told him: "I suppose when I go to the Hereafter and stand at the Golden Gate, the first person I shall meet will be a correspondent of Associated Press".

In the 150 years of news coverage, Associated Press reporters have saved and preserved within quotes words that have charted and changed the course of history. And AP photographers have framed and frozen great moments of all hues — moments of joy; of triumph; of anxiety; of despair: and, of tragedy — on the sands of time.

The library and editorial staff of Associated Press worked overtime to sift through millions of such images stored in the photo archives of AP and pulled out 150 of them from all over the world to put together a commemorative book called Flash! The Associated Press covers the world for its 150th anniversary. This book is a collectors’ item.