Wire Watch 2007Prepared by the Pennsylvania Associated Press

Managing Editors for state AP members and staffers

What’s New in 2007? First survey of use of AP Extra packages Account for stories ‘pulled’ from member sites

Highlights of 2007 survey Satisfaction ratings, member contributions and

use of member material on the AP wire Chart value and use of AP’s special projects

Of 40 newspapers responding

14 < 20,000 19 = 20 to 75,000 7 > 75,000

Nearly 3/4 of all newspapers responding were AM-cycle newspapers

Newspapers per circulation

19 completed survey via mail 21 completed survey via the Web

Overall satisfaction with AP Historic low / 1997 / 56% Historic high / 2001 / 92% Last year? Rated at 91% This year? Rated at 72%

Increases in members’ satisfaction by category Election Night coverage Up 11% (Up 3%) Coverage by neighbors Up 10% Sports features Up 8% (Up 1%) Sports news Up 3.5% (Up 6%) Enterprise reporting Up 3%

( ) = Last year’s number; Second year on list

Decreases in members’ satisfaction by category Sunday advances Down 21% (Down 5%) PA courts Down 16% PA legislation Down 7% PA politics Down 6% PA business Down 4.5% (Down 8%) Spot/Breaking newsDown 2.5% Request response Down 1% (Down 4%)

( ) = Last year’s numbers; Second year on list

Use of AP Extra packages State AP produces Keystone Extra, Business Extra

and Sports Focus packages Newspapers using all packages: 7 Using at least one package: 26 Using none of these packages: 5 Most newspapers use packages occasionally rather

than weekly or once per month Most popular? Keystone + Business Least popular? Sports Focus

Professional sports 91% Request response/Photos 76% College sports 72% Spot news photos 50% Photo/story coordination 45% Spot news by members 42% Multi-photo features 22% High school sports 22% Photos of my region 21%

Photography / Satisfaction

AP Projects / Most important Road to slots 100% Amish tragedy 100% Election 2006 99.5% Day of Reckoning (pension) 95% Challenging incumbents 94% Asians in PA 59%

AP Projects / What we used most Newspapers of all sizes used the Day of Reckoning

(state pensions) in full most often Small and medium newspapers next used

Challenging Incumbents in full most often Newspapers of all sizes heavily used portions of

Road to Slots, Election 2006 and Amish Tragedy

Member contributions More member stories, photos used this year. ‘Turn-around percentage’ for stories moved to the

wire declined by 4%. About 28% of all contributed stories made it to the wire for use.

However, an additional 102 stories from 30 newspapers’ web sites were pulled for use during this period as well.

386 photos used this year; Last year? 271.

National AP / Overall satisfaction Sports 95% (93%) Election night 92% (86%) War on Terror 79% (79%) Health 77.5% (84%) Enterprise/Adv 72% (85%) Stories,ages 18-35 49% (37%)

( ) = Last year’s result

Recommended actions Give members a different “extra”

Stop Sports Focus and coordinate an additional "extra" for members' weekend use on our state/region pages or our 18-to-34-year-old targeted publications.

Clarify desired member stories for wire use Improve our “turnaround rate” by working with members to

adjust the type or timing of stories better suited for the wire. (i.e, Those stories AP staffers are now "pulling" should be the ones we're sending too.)

Give us more multiple photo packages Consider packages that members might contribute to or

expand with their own photography for weekend use.

Recommended actions More enterprise during the first half of the year

Keep up the great enterprise work – particularly on state government (pay/taxes/casinos), but give members more before the end-of-the-year rush.

Coordinate graphics for member use Start a member exchange of graphics for occasional big

spot news stories or as part of the "AP Extra” packages.

How to use this report Pass the Wire Watch report around among your staff. Check your own contributions and their use

(particularly on-cycle contributions). Check on neighbors’ contributions of photos, stories. Talk with AP about any concerns you have.

Next year’s survey Host survey on PAPME’s web site Encourage greater participation Other suggestions?

Thank you Members of the PAPME Wire Watch Harry Dietz + Jim McClure Ray Shaw + Intelligencer Journal Sally Hale + the staff at state AP Samantha Dellinger + Chris Glass at YDR/YSN

To get another copy Email me at tsickler@ydr.com www.ap.org/pennsylvania www.papme.com