|
Press
Releases
June 28, 2004
AP to launch its first blog at the U.S. political
conventions
NEW YORK –The Associated Press is debuting its first
blog at the political conventions in Boston and New York,
starring Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Walter R. Mears.
Mears will pair with Washington reporter Nancy Benac to provide
running commentary, insight and news tidbits from the Democratic
and Republican conventions. Mears and Benac bring a deep knowledge
of politics and conventions to the blog. Mears has reported
from every convention since 1964 and Benac has covered 10
conventions.They will be assisted by political databank editor
Sam Hananel.
blog@ap.org will be available to subscribers to AP's premium
election services, AP Politics and AP Election Online.
"We like to try new things at the conventions because
we have such a large staff in one place," said AP's Washington
bureau chief, Sandy Johnson. "In 2000, for instance,
we created AP's first-ever convergence newsroom and had print,
photos, graphics, tv, radio and multimedia all working in
the same room. We also filed from the convention floor via
Palm Pilot in 2000, a pioneering use of the Palms, which were
fairly new then, as a reporting tool," Johnson said
.
blog@ap.org will open for business the Sunday before the conventions
open and will run through the final balloon drop on Thursday
night. In Boston, the blog will run July 25-29. In New York,
Aug. 29-Sept 2.
Mears covered politics for most of his 45-year career with
the AP, winning the Pulitzer for his coverage of the 1976
presidential campaign.
Among his titles and awards: Washington bureau chief, executive
editor of the AP, vice president, special correspondent and
columnist. Mears retired in 2001 and wrote his third book,
"Deadlines Past," which was published last year
and will be available at the conventions
.
Benac joined the AP in 1980, drawing her first convention
assignment at the Democratic gathering in New York City that
year. She has reported from Washington for more than 20 years,
including covering Clinton's first term and directing AP's
political coverage in 1990, 1992 and 1996.
Contact: Jack Stokes at 212-621-1720
|
