Choose Your Own Associated Press Lead
from the options-for-everyone dept
Apparently, the old "who, what, when, where, why and how" lead is too stuffy for some in this age of web-based news reporting. The Associated Press is trying to change with the times, and will be offering two different leads for certain stories, so editors can pick and choose. One lead will be the more traditional "that's the way it is," factual reporting. The other, will be a little more... fluffy, with "attempts to draw in the reader through imagery, narrative devices, perspective or other creative means." It's an interesting move -- and it shows that the Associated Press is recognizing that people don't just look at the news to be informed any more, but (in part) to be entertained. With so much competition out there, stories need to really get attention beyond just the facts. Whether or not that's a good thing, however, may depend on upon your own personal view of the news.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
No Subject Given
This is a cost savings thing, centralizing "voice", much like Clearchannel has done.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]