AP please, Bob

14 September 2005. No comments yet. Inspired by some interesting new possibilities for news.

The prototype, by way of example, featured the package "love on earth", where one couple in India told their story about how they met. In another example, nine AP photographers shot street food stalls in nine different cities throughout the world.

Though David Card's quite right about the age range mythology, AP's prospective new service 'asap' could be another example of imaginative commissioning from the big boys, done under the pretext of trying to pull in younger readers in order to get it past a sceptical board. Could be naff, could be reasonable flash journalism, could be that elusive cross between Out There News and IWPR. Sadly, I suspect that only AP subscribers will find out.

Meanwhile, one of their biggest online customers is about to send out Kevin Sites to cover every major war zone in twelve months as a 'SoJo'.

I have all kinds of problems with their journalistic code ("We will strive to live, breathe, and experience the lives of the people we are covering -including the daily dangers they're exposed to from combat, disease, and hardship." - Disease? You're going to infect the poor man with typhoid?), and the Challenge Anneka feel of it ("Mission: To cover every armed conflict in the world within one year". If he doesn't succeed, is there a reader vote for who replaces him? Can I suggest Jamie Oliver?), but I can't fault the ambition. Nor can I remove that little tinge of jealousy. Anyone need a Spanish SoJo?

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