Associated Press
A member-owned, not-for-profit news cooperative that supplies reporting, photographs, video, data and other media services worldwide.
Last updated October 23, 2026
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Overview
The Associated Press, commonly known as AP, is an American not-for-profit news agency and cooperative headquartered in New York City. It was established in 1846 by newspapers seeking to share the cost and logistical burden of gathering news about the Mexican–American War. From that original arrangement, AP developed into one of the world's most influential news organizations, supplying written reports, photographs, video, audio, election data, sports information and other editorial services to newspapers, broadcasters, digital publishers and public institutions. AP is structured differently from a conventional commercial media company. Its core cooperative membership consists of news organizations that contribute reporting and receive access to AP's broader service, while many non-member customers license AP material for a fee. This model has allowed the organization to maintain a large reporting network while distributing the cost of coverage across many participating publishers and broadcasters. AP reporting is routinely republished or broadcast by media outlets that do not have the resources to maintain correspondents in every region or subject area. The organization's growth has been closely linked to advances in communications technology. It introduced teleprinter transmission to its New York service in 1914 and launched Wirephoto in 1935, enabling news photographs to be transmitted rapidly over long distances. AP entered radio distribution in 1941, created the Associated Press Radio Network in 1974, and expanded into international television video through APTV in 1994. APTV later combined with Worldwide Television News to form APTN, which became an important supplier of video to broadcasters and online platforms. AP's editorial scope includes breaking news, politics, government, business, international affairs, science, health, climate, entertainment, sports and visual journalism. It also publishes the AP Stylebook, a widely used reference for news writing and editing, and provides sports polls, election surveys and verified election results. Its election operation has historically been especially important to American media because AP combines local reporting relationships, official data and specialized verification before projecting winners in political races. The cooperative has received extensive recognition for its journalism, including numerous Pulitzer Prizes, particularly for photography. Its correspondents have also worked in conflict zones and countries where press freedom is restricted, sometimes under dangerous conditions. AP's international operations have included hundreds of bureaus and regional offices, with services published or distributed in English, Spanish and Arabic. Like other traditional news organizations, AP has faced structural pressure from declining newspaper circulation, digital competition, changing licensing arrangements and the migration of advertising and audience attention to online platforms. It has responded by expanding digital products, video, data services, international customers and philanthropic initiatives aimed at strengthening local journalism. By the 2020s, newspapers represented a much smaller share of its revenue mix than in earlier decades, while broadcasters, international publishers and online ventures had become more significant. In 2024, the organization announced plans for a nonprofit initiative to expand state and local reporting through philanthropic support. AP remains an active global news provider whose role is based less on direct consumer subscription than on supplying trusted, rapidly distributed information to a broad network of media customers. Its continuing importance rests on the scale of its reporting infrastructure, its election and sports data operations, its visual journalism and the ability of its content to reach audiences through thousands of independent publishers and broadcasters.
History
The Associated Press originated in New York City in May 1846, when five daily newspapers formed a cooperative arrangement to share the expense of transmitting news from the Mexican–American War. Moses Yale Beach, publisher of The Sun, helped organize the venture with the New York Herald, New York Courier and Enquirer, Journal of Commerce and New York Evening Express. The organization was initially known as the New York Associated Press. The New York Times joined in 1851, further strengthening the cooperative's position in the city's newspaper market. During the late nineteenth century, AP's organizational structure and market power were contested. The Western Associated Press emerged in 1862, and an investigation led by Chicago Daily News publisher Victor Lawson later uncovered undisclosed arrangements involving the New York organization and a rival news service. The New York Associated Press was dissolved, and the Western Associated Press was reorganized in Illinois in 1892 as the Associated Press. Melville E. Stone became general manager the following year and guided the organization through a period of national expansion. A 1900 Illinois Supreme Court decision treated AP as a public utility and found aspects of its operation to be restraints on trade. The ruling contributed to the cooperative's move from Chicago to New York, where the legal environment was more favorable. AP nevertheless continued to face antitrust scrutiny. In 1945, the United States Supreme Court held that AP had violated the Sherman Antitrust Act through restrictions that made it difficult for non-member newspapers to join and limited members' ability to provide AP material to non-members. The decision encouraged a more open membership and distribution structure. Technological development was central to AP's growth. The organization used wireless telegraphy to cover the America's Cup in 1899, adopted teleprinter transmission in 1914 and introduced Wirephoto in 1935. Wirephoto allowed photographs to travel through leased telephone lines, giving newspapers much faster access to visual coverage. AP expanded into radio in 1941 and later created its own radio network. It also developed a substantial international presence under Kent Cooper, who led the organization from 1925 to 1948 and expanded bureaus in South America, Europe and the Middle East. AP journalists covered major conflicts and political events throughout the twentieth century. Some correspondents were killed or imprisoned while reporting, while the organization also experienced internal controversies over wartime publication decisions. In 1945, correspondent Edward Kennedy reported Germany's surrender before an Allied news blackout had been lifted and was subsequently dismissed. The episode became one of the most debated moments in AP's history. The organization also continued to diversify its visual and broadcast operations, eventually switching completely to color photography in 1987. The modern international video business began with the creation of APTV in 1994. APTV merged with Worldwide Television News in 1998 to form APTN, extending AP's reach among international broadcasters, websites and other video customers. AP later introduced digital products including AP Mobile, joined YouTube and expanded online distribution. Its content increasingly reached audiences through portals, search platforms, broadcasters and digital publishers rather than only through traditional member newspapers. The economics of the news industry created sustained pressure in the 2000s and 2010s. Newspaper circulation and advertising weakened, licensing relationships changed and digital platforms became more important intermediaries. AP reduced prices for some customers and diversified into broadcast, international, online, photography, data and other services. It also developed AP Votecast in 2018 as a replacement for traditional election exit polling in U.S. elections. In the 2020s, AP continued to operate as a global cooperative while seeking new ways to support local reporting. Its newspaper revenue base had declined substantially compared with earlier decades, and several large newspaper groups reduced their use of AP services in 2024 while retaining election data. That year, AP also announced plans to establish a philanthropic nonprofit focused on expanding state and local journalism. In 2025, the organization became involved in a First Amendment dispute with the White House after its reporters were restricted from some presidential events over a naming policy. The dispute illustrated AP's continuing role as both a news supplier and an independent institutional participant in debates about press access.
- 2024
Local journalism nonprofit initiative announced
[3]AP announces plans for a nonprofit initiative intended to expand state and local news coverage through philanthropic funding.
- 2018
AP Votecast replaces traditional exit polling
[1]AP introduces AP Votecast for U.S. elections, combining survey research with election-results reporting.
- 2012
Gary Pruitt becomes chief executive
[1]Gary B. Pruitt succeeds Tom Curley as AP president and chief executive officer.
- 2008
AP Mobile launches
[1]AP introduces a multimedia mobile news service and an early dedicated iPhone application.
- 1998
APTV merges with Worldwide Television News
[1]The two video organizations combine to form APTN, expanding AP's international television offering.
- 1994
APTV is launched
[1]AP creates APTV as a global video newsgathering and distribution operation.
- 1974
Associated Press Radio Network launches
[1]AP establishes a dedicated radio network providing regular newscasts and sports programming.
- 1945
Supreme Court antitrust ruling
[1]The U.S. Supreme Court rules that AP practices restricting membership and redistribution violated the Sherman Antitrust Act.
- 1941
AP enters radio news distribution
[1]The organization begins distributing news to radio stations, broadening its role beyond print newspapers.
- 1935
Wirephoto launches
[1]AP begins its Wirephoto network, enabling rapid long-distance transmission of news photographs.
Products and positioning
A trusted, independent and highly distributed source of verified journalism and media infrastructure for publishers, broadcasters, digital platforms and the public.
Digital news
AP News
AP News is the organization's public-facing digital news service, presenting AP reporting across national, international, political, business, sports, entertainment and other categories. It distributes original text, photography and video directly to audiences while also serving as a showcase for journalism that is licensed widely by external publishers and broadcasters.
Editorial reference
AP Stylebook
The AP Stylebook is a reference work for journalists, editors, public-relations professionals and other writers. It provides guidance on grammar, punctuation, usage, reporting conventions and treatment of names and subjects. Its influence extends beyond AP because many newsrooms and communications organizations use it as a common editorial standard.
News photography
AP Images
AP Images provides access to the organization's photographic archive and current visual journalism. The service reflects AP's long history in news photography, including the Wirephoto era, conflict photography, sports imagery, political coverage and visual documentation of major events.
Video news · 1994
AP Video
AP's video operation gathers and distributes international and domestic news footage for broadcasters, websites and other media customers. It developed from APTV and the later APTN combination with Worldwide Television News, and supports both breaking-news coverage and regularly produced video packages.
Radio news · 1974
AP News Radio
AP News Radio supplies regular radio newscasts, sportscasts and related audio material to stations and other audio distributors. It represents AP's long-running broadcast service, which began with radio distribution in 1941 and developed into a dedicated network in 1974.
Election data and polling · 2018
AP Elections and AP Votecast
AP's election services collect, verify and distribute results for U.S. federal, state and local races. AP Votecast adds survey research designed to replace conventional election exit polls. Media organizations use these products when analyzing contests and determining when results can responsibly be projected.
Controversies
2020
Associated Press apologizes for Jefferson Davis quote
The Associated Press apologized for a "Thought of the Day" that it provided and that The Arizona Republic published in its June 3 edition. Editors at Gannett, the newspaper's parent company, also expressed regret for publishing it.
2020
AP apologizes for distributing Jefferson Davis quote and replaces it
The Associated Press said it was appalled that a Jefferson Davis quote had been distributed in its "Today in History" series. AP said it removed and replaced the quote, apologized, and stopped including the "Thought for Today" section where it had appeared.
1945
Edward Kennedy surrender report controversy
AP Paris bureau chief Edward Kennedy reported Germany's surrender before an Allied news blackout had formally ended. The decision caused a major dispute with military authorities and led to Kennedy's dismissal from AP.
Brand decisions
2025
Legal challenge over White House press accessOtherBackground
The White House restricted AP access to certain presidential events after AP declined to use the administration's preferred terminology for the Gulf of Mexico.
Action taken
AP filed a federal lawsuit challenging the restrictions and asserting that the government had acted impermissibly against a news organization because of its editorial choice.
Aftermath
A district judge later ordered access restrictions lifted while the case proceeded, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit subsequently stayed that order.
2024
Creation of a local-news nonprofit initiativeStrategyBackground
The decline of local newspapers and shrinking local reporting staffs created a broader crisis in community news coverage.
Action taken
AP announced plans for a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to expand state and local journalism through philanthropic fundraising.
Aftermath
The initiative positioned AP as a potential participant in efforts to rebuild local reporting capacity beyond its traditional wire-service role.
2018
Introduction of AP VotecastGeneration changeBackground
Traditional election exit polls were becoming less reliable as voting patterns and voting methods changed.
Action taken
AP introduced AP Votecast as a new election survey and results-reporting system.
Aftermath
The system became part of AP's broader election-information service for media organizations and the public.
1994
Expansion into global video newsStrategyBackground
International broadcasters and emerging digital publishers increasingly needed professionally gathered video.
Action taken
AP launched APTV as a global video newsgathering and distribution service.
Aftermath
The later combination with Worldwide Television News created APTN and broadened AP's role in international broadcast and online video.
1935
Launch of WirephotoOtherBackground
Newspapers needed faster ways to receive photographs from distant events.
Action taken
AP created a leased-line photographic transmission network capable of sending images across major U.S. cities.
Aftermath
The service strengthened AP's competitive position in visual journalism and established an important technological precedent for rapid news imagery.
Recent events
Reported
AP announces NFT photography marketplace[6]
The Associated Press announced that it planned to launch an NFT news photography marketplace on January 31, featuring work by AP photographers.
Reported
AP partners with Xooa on NFT photography marketplace[6]
The Associated Press said it would work with blockchain company Xooa on its NFT photography marketplace.
Reported
The Associated Press appoints Daisy Veerasingham as president and CEO[7]
The Associated Press appointed its chief revenue officer, Daisy Veerasingham, as president and CEO on Tuesday, setting her up to replace retiring CEO Gary Pruitt at the beginning of the next year.
Weekdays and relative dates follow the original report; their exact calendar dates have not been verified.
Reported
Twitter partners with AP and Reuters on platform context[8]
Twitter announced partnerships with The Associated Press and Reuters to help add context to news and trends on Twitter and support other information efforts on its platform.
Reported
Twitter announced a partnership with Reuters and the Associated Press[9]
Twitter announced a partnership with Reuters and the Associated Press to provide more context to tweets and posts on its social network. The initial programme focus was English-language content.
- Unconfirmed
Facebook partners with NABJ on journalism fellowships[10]
The National Association of Black Journalists partnered with Facebook on a program offering nine journalists year-long fellowships at companies across the country, with training and networking opportunities also available.
Reported
TikTok partners with Associated Press to display election results[11]
TikTok announced a partnership with the Associated Press to provide access to AP’s interactive map of live election results in TikTok’s For You feed.
Reported
AP apologizes for distributing Jefferson Davis quote and replaces it[5]
The Associated Press said it was appalled that a Jefferson Davis quote had been distributed in its “Today in History” series. AP said it removed and replaced the quote, apologized, and stopped including the “Thought for Today” section where it had appeared.
Weekdays and relative dates follow the original report; their exact calendar dates have not been verified.
Reported
Associated Press apologizes for Jefferson Davis quote[4]
The Associated Press apologized for a “Thought of the Day” it provided and that The Arizona Republic published in its June 3 edition. Editors at Gannett, the newspaper's parent company, also expressed regret for publishing it.
Reported
Associated Press wins Power of Purpose award for brand campaign[12]
The Associated Press won a Campaign US Power of Purpose award in the brand purpose category for its “Advancing the Power of Facts” campaign.
Sources15 sources
- 1Associated Pressen.wikipedia.org
- 2Associated Press official websiteapnews.com
- 3Associated Press plans nonprofit to expand local newsaxios.com
- 4Associated Press apologizes for Jefferson Davis quoteazcentral.com
- 5AP apologizes for distributing Jefferson Davis quote and replaces ittalkingpointsmemo.com
- 6美联社宣布推出 NFT 新闻照片平台newtalk.tw
- 7美联社任命 Daisy Veerasingham 为总裁兼首席执行官kitchener.citynews.ca
- 8Twitter与美联社和路透社合作为平台内容提供背景信息techcrunch.com
- 9Twitter宣布与路透社和美联社建立合作thehindu.com
- 10Facebook 与 NABJ 合作开展新闻业 fellowship 项目ohio.binnews.com
- 11TikTok与美联社合作展示选举结果tubefilter.com
- 12美联社品牌宣传活动获Power of Purpose奖finanznachrichten.de
- 13Twitter partners with AP, Reuters to battle misinformation on its sitearabnews.com
- 14Twitter Partners with Big Media to Combat 'Misinformation'breitbart.com
- 15Twitter partners with Reuters and AP to quash misinformationgeo.tv
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