wire
DESCRIPTION
AAP NewswireTRANSCRIPT
Australian Associated Press – for 78 years the news media that all media have turned to – has been quietly transforming itself to better serve publishers and broadcasters at all hours on all platforms.
This SPECIAL REPORT shines a light on the trail AAP Newswire has been blazing and on the path forward.
Going Live! Dynamic,
engaging, social and ‘now’.
Page 3
An eye on the world around us.How AAP delivers the big shots. Pages 14-15
When big stories break: How your news service will cover the things that really matter in 2013. Page 6
Every move they make: The dates, the places and the diary. It’s the ultimate news planning tool. Pages 8-9
We’re always thereAround Australia. Around the world. Around the clock.
Reporter’s take: The unique video that puts the audience in the shoes of journos as they witness history. Page 10
Rewiring the media machine
atn s
2
AAP’s breaking news wire delivers 1200 news stories daily to all Australian media
– fi led fast, mostly fi rst, updated frequently and streamed around the clock. While its content features prominently on all major news websites and publications around the country, the news agency’s senior editors ask: “is this enough?”
AAP Newswire’s editor in chief Tony Gillies said the media industry’s seismic shift during the past 18 months had prompted
a rethink on the Newswire’s purpose and focus.
“We’re in a fragmented media environment now and the demands are changing almost daily so AAP Newswire fi nds itself in a constant cycle of evolution,” he said. “We must engage with customers and listen carefully to understand the challenges and changes to our customers’ business in order to remain relevant.”
So what does this mean for the 78 year-old news service?Media is now clearly focused
on digital platforms with a requirement for:
Content wrapped in well-structured metadata to drive online searches and seamlessly link related items;Content that has depth and many layers;Content that engages its audience;Content that constantly updates;Content that is delivered in a timely manner; andContent that is underpinned by strong journalistic rigour.
Gillies said these tenets form the roadmap to the future of AAP’s news operation.
“We’re very pleased to advise that we are a long way down the track.
“We’ve identifi ed story formats suitable for various platforms at various times of the day and produce them to suit.”
The majority of the news wire is aimed at web use. AAP Newswire stories are short, sharp stories, re-angled and refreshed often. They’re fi rst pitched to web audiences where high
Solutions for a fragmented media world
NEWSWIRE 24/7Gathering, producing and delivering breaking news is AAP’s around-the-clock obsession. Formats are determined by the audience, the platform and the time of day. This graphic uncovers the peak times in AAP Newswire’s news production, synchronised to the demands of our subscribers’ audiences.
Radio150-word stories written as a script.
Television 150-word stories in script-style plus longer stories for background.
The delivery cycle
Formats➧ ➧
00.00 to 06.00
AAP keeps a watch on the world while most Australians are asleep. At the same time we preview the stories to unfold that day, so subscribers can serve a hearty breakfast of news.
Targets: Radio, tv, websites, display screens
06.00 to 09.00
Website traffi c comes to life and commuters get moving. The stories are short, sharp and frequently updated. Subscribers’ news platforms need to keep ticking over.
Targets: Mobile phones, radio, TV, websites
09.00 to 11.00
The mid-morning news cycle is the calm before the storm. Broadcast bulletins are refreshed as we await news developments to provide context to overnight and early-morning news breaks.
Targets: Radio, websites, display screens
AAP NewswireEditor-In-Chief Tony Gillies 02 9322 8500 [email protected] Mike Osborne 02 9322 8616 [email protected] Editor Joanne Williamson 02 9322 8071 [email protected] Editors Bronwyn Walenkamp 02 9322 8610 [email protected] Editor Paul Mulvey 02 9322 8611 [email protected] Editor Sasi Nair 02 9322 8720 [email protected] Editor Belinda Tasker 02 9322 8738 fi [email protected] Editor Neil Harvey 02 9322 8756 [email protected] Editor April Fonti 02 9322 8707 [email protected] Editor Toni Mason 02 9322 8290 [email protected] Exclusive Jenny Tabakoff 02 9322 8296 jtabakoff @aap.com.auNZNewswire Editor Nick Brown 02 9322 8606 [email protected] CoS Sean Martin +64 4 917 5100 [email protected] & Advisories Stephanie Flack 02 9322 8570 sfl [email protected] Manager Mohen Govender 02 9322 8533 [email protected]
AAP Newswire CommercialCommercial Manager Amrita Sidhu 02 9322 8299 [email protected] Sales & Service 02 9322 8405 [email protected] Sales & Service 02 9322 8401 [email protected] Business Manager Peter Klein 07 3834 9921 [email protected] 1800 811358 [email protected]
PagemastersManaging Director Peter Atkinson 07 3872 6222 [email protected] Managing Editor Antony Phillips 02 9322 8307 [email protected] Editor, Victoria Tim Campbell 03 8413 3209 [email protected]
Medianet & NewscentreManaging Director Kylie O’Reilly 02 9322 8127 [email protected]
turnover is key. A menu of even shorter stories representing the top 25 stories of the hour is ideal for mobile publishers and radio and television broadcasters. This menu is refreshed hour by hour and around the clock.
Updates and wraps are 500 words while features and analysis pieces cap at 800 words in length.
These provide the context and take the story into the following day so are ideal for newspapers and tablets.
Contacts
Production: Pagemasters; Design: Anita Belia
3
11.00 to 14.00
The lunchtime audience peak online and on mobile. News on tablets gets a refresh. Detail of key news developments unfold and reaction to morning bulletins and print editions emerges.
Targets: Websites, mobile, tablet devices, radio
Rolling coverage: It’s news now
NewswireLivestream
AAP Newswire has been at the forefront of breaking news delivery since its
inception in 1935, and its smart live news reporting solution continues this tradition.
AAP Newswire Live is a multimedia news curation platform that harnesses text, images, video, graphics and social media in a single blog-style form that unrolls breaking news the moment it happens.
Reporters and photographers in the fi eld and live news producers conduct coverage with an eye on witness reports, social media and related developments.
AAP Newswire Live is a compelling way to tell a story.
News text and multimedia is presented in short, sharp grabs, time-stamped and delivered as the event unfolds.
Key points and wrapped and
updated stories provide instant context. The news threads are delivered to clients as iframe “widgets”. The content is hosted by AAP. These are as simple to implement as posting code on a page in a content management system.
Newswire Live’s highly customisable look
and confi guration options also allow
subscribers to offer their readers our developing news threads in a look that matches
theirs.The agency is now
close to offering an API publishing solution to
allow for greater customisation by the client.
News, by its very nature, can be unpredictable. The early minutes and hours of coverage can be critical, especially as your news site bids to lead the news agenda.
AAP Newswire’s renowned agility and resourcefulness keep its digital customers ahead of the game.
AAP’s live digital curation platform delivers fast, engaging and relevant stories as they break
Display screens 50-word snapshots of stories with images attached.
Websites Frequently updated stories no more than 300 words.
Newspapers Deeper stories for context and angled for the next day.
WORLD NEWS Tablet devicesLead stories that provide depth and analysis. A magazine feel.
Mobile phone50-word snapshots of stories.
14.00 to 18.00
Stories of the day have taken shape and context to the early morning breaks evolves. Print editions are being prepared so analysis begins. Short sharp updates for commuters.
Targets: Mobile phones, radio, TV, newspapers, tablets, display screens.
18.00 to 00.00
New developments have slowed. The who, what, where and when gives way to the why and how. Stories are longer as we record events of that day and what’s likely to happen the following day.
Targets: Newspapers, tablet devices, late-night TV
AAP Newswire’s live reporting solution unfurls breaking stories in a dynamic and engaging way. The sessions harness observations from reporters in the fi eld; take in images and video from our staff and from the public; and collect relevant social media elements.
1 Live coverageAudiences are given easy-to-grasp reference points. It off ers compelling reasons to stay tuned to the coverage.
3 Live reportThe rolling coverage is displayed in blog style. Entries are time-stamped and presented in reverse chronological order. Reporters off er factual accounts bringing the credibility that comes with being a front row witness to the event.
4 TwitterSocial media, such as Twitter, off ers another perspective – a public pulse. We carefully select tweets that add to the telling of the story.
5 Quotes & fact boxesLivestream’s diverse presentation includes easy-to-read fact boxes to sum up a story, while relevant quotes from those making the news provide poignancy and gravitas.
2 Wrap upFor those unable to tune in from the start, the Wrap Up gives context and allows a user to catch up.
1
23
4
5
It’s fast, relevant,
engaging and credible
4
The ultimate planning toolA
planning, news monitoring and story analytics website is the centrepiece of
AAP Newswire’s strategy to get even closer to publishers and broadcasters.
Launched in April and available to the agency’s subscribers, AAP Agenda will detail diaries, newslists, multimedia galleries and summarise lead stories in all major newspapers, websites, radio and television newsrooms.
The site packages the lead stories of the day, fl ags top trending topics online and enables subscribers to access real-time special requests and queries on delivery and story status.
“This is the detail that editors, news directors and chiefs of staff need at their fi ngertips as they navigate fast-breaking news,” said AAP Newswire’s editor in chief Tony Gillies.
“It’s another set of eyes and ears at a time when most newsrooms are trying to do more across multiple platforms with fewer resources.”
Newly appointed diaries and advisories editor Stephanie Flack will keep the critical information fl owing.
“She’s hitting the phones proactively seeking out what chiefs of staff and pic editors
need from AAP Newswire day to day,” Gillies said.
The higher level of communication with subscribers is another initiative to bring the agency closer to its subscribers, according to Gillies.
“AAP’s news services are a part of many newsrooms in the country and we’re very proud of that. Though we’ve never taken that for granted,” he said.
“Our relationship with media organisations goes back many years so we consider it critical that we’re not just a content provider but a solution provider as well.
“It begins by being good at what we do, but by also continually innovating we remain relevant to customers in a turbulent environment.”
The Newswire’s senior editors and commercial team work to understand the challenges of their customers, then work on initiatives that will make those customers more agile, more competitive and more effi cient.
Gillies said this service philosophy had spawned a suite of cost-effi cient news services including:
Auto-published digital content: All stories and multimedia is delivered ready-to-publish. Many major news websites elect to have AAP’s news team publish
the top breaking news to their site direct. We hit the “send” button on the command desk and stories show on customer sites 90 seconds later.
Content ready to pull: News publishers can also access AAP Newswire’s own digital CMS to browse, select and extract text, images, fact boxes and video with one-click before publishing.
Picture stream: The top breaking news stories have images attached forming a rich news stream that can be published automatically to websites, mobiles and display screens.
Headline tickers: AAP Newswire’s digital team has created a news ticker service that can be streamed to large format display screens, to websites and mobiles. We can create a menu to suit any customer.
Live news reporting: Dynamic news reporting that incorporates witness reports, images, video, facts, graphics and social media stream live as the event unfolds. AAP Newswire hosts this solution and provides an embedded link to customers’ websites.
Exclusive content and tailored news services:AAP Newswire has assembled
a roster of Australia’s leading writers to produce long-form features that are available to a single customer or network on an exclusive basis.
This service has been extended to include the commissioning of exclusive stories, images and video for customers and event organisers.
Gillies said there was a high level of trust between AAP Newswire and its customers which makes the above possible.
“We’re a safe pair of hands, we’ve been doing this a very long time and our news customers respond to that.”
Pagemasters
As the news publishing industry is undergoing massive transformation, an AAP company has provided a solution that has put managers, editors and proprietors at ease.
Pagemasters – with the mantra “every time on time” – is a global provider of design, editorial, listings and imaging services to newspaper and magazine publishers. Much of its recent success lies in the pioneering establishment and operation of centralised subediting centres.
Operations in Australia, New Zealand and the UK provide complete design, editing and production services for a range of metropolitan, regional and community newspapers and weekly and monthly magazines.
A wholly owned subsidiary of AAP, Pagemasters has become not just a fi rst-choice provider of outsourcing services but a catalyst for a growing number of major publishers choosing this path for their businesses.
More information: www.pagemasters.com.au
MRGMonitoring what is said about a company or organisation and what that communications means to its reputation is an essential part of the media mix.
Enhanced by the freedom, depth and possibilities the internet brings, the growing but specialised business of media monitoring and analysis is a strategic awareness tool that keeps companies informed on key issues before and as they happen.
The Media Research Group (MRG) was established in Melbourne in 1996 providing a client focused high-quality media monitoring and analysis alternative.
MRG’s acquisition by AAP in 2007 fuelled its expansion nationally. It undertakes media analysis, monitoring and related services to a diverse client roster that include some of Australia’s largest and most successful public and privately listed companies, government departments, not for profi t organisations and Public Relations specialists.
More information: www.mrg.com.au
Medianet Medianet for Journalists is a free press release
database off ered exclusively to Australian and international journalists.
Providing real-time, online access to press releases as well as 10 years of historical press release headlines, Medianet for Journalists is a valuable research tool and content source for every editorial organisation.
This content and multimedia-rich database includes not only the latest press releases but high-res images, radio-ready audio grabs and broadcast-ready videos from Australia’s corporate, government and not-for-profi t sectors. Medianet for Journalists’ email alerting service acts as a fi lter to ensure you receive only the press releases relevant to your area of interest.
As a division of AAP, Medianet has the largest collection and ongoing contribution of press releases.
To register for your free account, scan the QR code and complete the form. Alternatively you can email your contact details to [email protected]
5
Bruce Elder, music and popular
culture guru, who is a past winner of the Geraldine Pascall Award for Critical
Writing.
Letitia Rowlands, formerly of The Daily
Telegraph, focuses on parenting, health
and relationship issues.
Geraldine PAward for C
WrW iting
Exclusive? Just book it!The AAP service that delivers clients’ special requests
Great stories, written by terrifi c journalists, delivered seamlessly to clients – that’s the
core mission of AAP Exclusive. The recently launched AAP
Exclusive is a freelance writers’ bureau designed to take the hassle out of fi nding and commissioning exclusive, quality journalism.
Each week AAP Exclusive offers for sale a broad mix of
content – feature articles and columns – from a stable of more than 25 high-calibre freelance journalists and columnists.
The ideas are fresh and cover areas as diverse as health and humour, technology and lifestyle, sport and personal fi nance, science and pop culture.
A key part of the value equation of the service is that AAP Exclusive content is primarily off-news cycle. It is
Each week, commissioning editor Jenny Tabakoff oversees the commissioning of 10-15 feature articles and columns from our stable of writers.
AAP Exclusive is at www.aapnewswire.com.au/exclusive and it works like this:
PascallPascall Criticalg.
g pon parenting, health
andd relationship issues.
How it works
Jenny Tabakoff ,
AAP commissioning editor has more than
30 years’ experience as a senior features writer and features editor on leading
newspapers in Australia and Britain, including The
Sydney Morning Herald, The Times and London’s
Daily Telegraph.
➧
➧
Mike Safe, who spent 20 years as a feature writer for The Australian, interviewing everyone from prime ministers to murderers.
Jenni Gilbert, who specialises in beauty and lifestyle, is a former editor-in-chief of New Idea and a former editor of The Australian’s Wish magazine.
Charles Purcell, ex-Sydney Morning Herald, is always willing to take on a challenge, whether it’s attending Santa school or a beginners’ burlesque class.
Margaret Rice, one-time medical writer for The Australian and The Sydney Morning Herald, specialises in health and science stories.
Charles Happell, sports lover and writer, has covered golf, cricket and two Olympic Games for The Age and written two bestselling books.
Asa Wahlquist, a Walkley and Eureka Award-winning journalist who specialises in environmental, rural and regional issues.
Our stableAAP Exclusive’s bureau of writers includes leading journalists, around the country and overseas, with expertise across a broad range of subjects. They include:
A 200-word summary of each feature and column – the Schedule of Content – is posted on the website.
The Schedule is published every Monday at midday.
Content on the Schedule is off ered on a fi rst-come, fi rst-served basis.
Clients buy features and columns by contacting their AAP account manager.
Content is off ered on a two-tier, fi xed word-rate for single geographic markets and for the national market.
Associated multi-media packages off ered separately.
and structure, to commissioning and editing, and, fi nally, delivery within deadline.
Feature articles and columns are typically commissioned as 1200 words and 800 words respectively. But all content is also available in a 500-word, web-edit version, ideal for online publishing. Additionally, AAP Exclusive also offers clients the opportunity to commission tailored content.
If a client has a specifi c content need, AAP Exclusive will provide complete management of the commission.
This includes creating story ideas, assigning the most suitable journalist, complete editing and delivering within deadline. Examples of commissioned content include columns on personal fi nance, technology, well-being, sport, entertainment and motoring.
not reactive journalism and commentary. It forges an agenda of fresh and unexpected ideas.
This tailored approach delivers added value to publishers – on all platforms – in search of content with a serendipitous quality.
On a practical level, AAP Exclusive takes the hassle out of commissioning original content.
It is an end-to-end, ready-to-publish service – from story idea
6
`
Looking ahead: news events to keep in your diary
This year is shaping as a big news year with a federal election, a new royal baby, back-to-back Ashes tours, not to mention the fi rst Lions rugby tour in 12 years.
And next year we have a Winter Olympics, soccer World
Cup and Commonwealth Games, the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War One, and the usual array of Australian stars lining up for entertainment awards.
AAP, as always, will be providing well-written stories
covering all the major angles, some of the quirks, and the people and issues that make up the story. Plus we’ll provide factboxes, timelines, penpix, quotes series and other extras.
But AAP is about more than
just words. We supply all the components to tell the complete story – both online and in print, including pictures, video, interactive graphics, and for digital clients, live coverage of breaking events.
The AshesFor the fi rst time, two Ashes cricket series will be held back to back. AAP cricket writer Ben Horne will travel with the Australians to cover the English Tests at Trent Bridge in Nottingham (July 10-14), Lord’s (July 18-22), Old Trafford in Manchester (August 1-5), the Riverside Ground at Chester-le-Street (August 9-13) and The Oval (August 21-25) as well as all the team news and updates in between the matches.
And back in Australia, AAP’s writers and photographers will cover the Tests on home turf in Brisbane (November 21-25), Adelaide (December 5-9), Perth (December 13-17), Melbourne (December 26-30) and Sydney (January 3-7) along with all the selection news, injury updates and tour matches.
A Royal BabyIt’s going to be another banner year for the royal family after the success of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year.
Prince William and his wife Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, are expecting their fi rst child who will be heir to the throne whether it’s a boy or a girl.
The young royal couple has rejuvenated interest in the monarchy, and AAP’s London bureau will be paying a lot of attention to the royals.
Coverage will include text, image, video and graphics outlining the royal succession.
The Winter Olympics
AAP sports writer Glenn Cullen will co-ordinate the coverage of the Sochi Games from February 7-23, 2014.
After organising a comprehensive preview package, he will travel to Russia accompanied by colleagues with coverage to include text, factboxes, images and video.
AAP’s daily Australian-angled coverage will be supplemented by partner agency coverage of the big international news and events.
From sport and showbiz to politics and royalty – AAP will be ringside
EVENTS FOR 2014 Motion Picture Awards SeasonThe highlight of the entertainment calendar starts with the Golden Globes and follows with the SAGS and BAFTAs before wrapping up with the Oscars.
AAP’s LA correspondent Peter Mitchell is on hand to provide previews and news and then cover the awards with a focus on the high-profi le Australians.
AAP provides an all-encom-passing interactive graphic that updates as the awards ceremonies conclude, and for the Golden Globes and Oscars there is live coverage for digital subscribers featuring the best pictures, quotes, social media, winners and stories from the red carpet and ceremony.
7
Federal BudgetOn May 14, AAP will provide comprehensive coverage of the federal budget with a dedicated team of about 30 in the six-hour lock-up that ends at 7.30pm when the Treasurer rises to deliv-er his speech in Parliament.
AAP’s Editor Mike Osborne and Deputy Editor Joanne Wil-liamson will be in Canberra to co-ordinate the coverage.
It will include stories outlining the major budget initiatives and why they matter, factboxes summarising the major features and winners and losers in the budget, images and video of the Treasurer’s media conference, and print and digital graphics.
Federal ElectionAAP will have reporters and photographers travelling with both the ALP and Liberal party leaders every day of the 2013 electoral campaign providing text, images, and video.
We will be asking the hard questions and getting the colour and movement of a campaign, including a behind-the-scenes look at reporting on the road in an election.
AAP will also focus on the major policy announcements, providing balanced stories and considered analysis – not just repeating what the leaders are saying, but talking to people in the electorates, speaking to those aff ected by policy, and
experts in those fi elds. And we’ll be keeping track of those policies and promises, provided in regularly updated factboxes and graphics.
On a daily basis, subscribers can expect breaking news, wraps from each leader, an overall wrap on the major election news of the day, and on-merit analyses, sidebars, backgrounders and colour.
A daily factbox on the highlights of the day will also be provided, along with images and video. As the election gets closer, AAP will prepare backgrounders on the issues, profi les on leaders and parties, factboxes, plus other news features, as well as a
comprehensive interactive graphic on the election, the leaders, the critical seats and the policies that matter.
On election night, expect continuous coverage followed by a full review in the following days.
AAP will provide digital subscribers live coverage of the major debates through the campaign and on election night.
The Lions TourIt’s been 12 years since the British and Irish Lions ventured Down Under when the Wallabies triumphed by six points in the deciding Test in Sydney.
This year’s month-long tour includes matches against all fi ve local Super Rugby teams and three Tests against the Wallabies in Brisbane (June 22), Melbourne (June 29) and Sydney (July 6).
Jim Morton will be leading AAP’s Test match coverage, which will include match previews and reviews, analyses, colour, and training updates from both sides.
This will be supplemented by weekly video reports voiced by rugby expert Gordon Bray.
Spring RacingThe coverage begins in earnest around late September when many of the foreign horses start arriving and picks up pace for the Caulfi eld Guineas, then the Caulfi eld Cup, the Cox Plate and then the Spring carnival itself, starting with the Victorian Derby, Cup day, the Oaks and the Emirates Stakes.
Co-ordinated by long-time racing editor Caryl William-son, each of the major days are comprehensively previewed, and on race days there are snaps of group one winners, followed by updates and reaction from connections and quotes series on what the jockeys said.
All the colour of the fashions and celebrities
AAP’s celebrity writers and photographers will also cover the action in the birdcage and the marquees, and the fashions-on-the-fi eld events.
AAP’s interactive graphic on Spring Racing has all the action from past years, updates of current results and winners, a quiz on Cup facts and includes galleries on all the colour and movement of the fashions and celebrities.
The World CupBrazil is ready to become the global sporting centre of atten-tion – fi rst for the World Cup from June 12-July 13, 2014, and then again at the 2016 Olympics.
With Australia likely to qualify for the World Cup, AAP is already planning its coverage for text and multimedia, as well as previews including an interactive graphic looking at the tournament and Australia’s history at the event.
Coverage of the event itself will include daily news updates, analysis of the tournament and comprehensive match reporting across text, images and video. And for digital subscribers – full live coverage of the Australian matches and fi nals.
Centenary of WWINearly 100 years ago on July 29, 1914, the world erupted into what became known as World War One.
Throughout 2013 and early 2014 AAP will begin issuing a series of backgrounders and pre-views in text, image, video and graphic form on the centenary of the war and its major battles, including the 100th anniversary of Anzac Day on April 25, 2015.
These will include why we went to war, why young Australian men volunteered, what Australia was like in 1914 and how Anzac Day changed Australia.
AAP’s Australian-focused cov-erage will be supplemented by agency partner coverage.
The Commonwealth GamesAAP will have about 30 staff for the Glasgow Games from July 23-August 3, 2014, covering the 17 sports and daily breaking news with words, pictures and multimedia, along with a results service and expected live digital coverage.
Ahead of the Games, the London bureau duo of Julian Drape and Liam Fitzgibbon will provide all the news, while the sports desk specialists will provide preview packages a year out, six months out and just before the Games begin.
8
March14-17 Motorsport: F1, Australian Grand
Prix, Albert Park, Melbourne
15 or 16 AFL: NAB Cup Grand Final
16 Horse Racing: Randwick Guineas,
Randwick, Sydney
16 Athletics: Perth Track Classic
16-24 Surfi ng: ASP Women’s WCT,
Margaret River Pro, WA
21-28 Melbourne Fashion Festival
22 AFL: Season starts
22-24 Rugby Union: Sevens World Series,
Hong Kong
22-26 Cricket: Sheffi eld Shield fi nal
23 Horse Racing: Coolmore Classic
and Ranvet Stakes, Rosehill, Sydney
23 Athletics: Brisbane Track Classic
24 Netball: Trans-Tasman
Championship starts
25 Kim Dotcom’s NZ extradition
hearing to start in North Shore
District Court
26 First anniversary of Newman
election in Queensland
26 Soccer: World Cup qualifi er, Australia
v Oman, ANZ Stadium, Sydney
March 27 – April 1Surfi ng: ASP Women’s WCT Rip Curl Pro, Bell’s
Beach, Victoria
March 27 – April 7 Surfi ng: ASP Men’s WCT, Rip Curl Pro, Bells
Beach, Victoria
30 Horse Racing: Rosehill Guineas and
The Galaxy, Rosehill, Sydney; Dubai
World Cup, Meydan Grandstand and
Racecourse, Dubai
March 30 – April 1 Athletics: Stawell Gift, Stawell, Victoria
31 Baseball: US MLB season starts
AprilApril – MayCricket: IPL Twenty20 tournament, India
6 Horse Racing: Golden Slipper, The
BMW, Queen of the Turf Stakes,
Storm Queen Stakes and George
Ryder Stakes, Rosehill, Sydney; The
Grand National, Aintree Racecourse,
Merseyside, England
6 Athletics: Melbourne IAAF World
Challenge Meeting
11-14 Golf: US Masters, Augusta National,
Augusta, USA
11-14 Athletics: Australian Championships/
World Championship selection trials,
Sydney Olympic Park
13 Horse Racing: ATC Australian Derby,
TJ Smith Stakes, Sires Produce
Stakes, Randwick, Sydney
17-21 Surf Life Saving: Australian
Championships, North Kirra and
Tugun, Queensland
19 Rugby League: Australia v New
Zealand, Canberra Stadium
19 World Bank/IMF annual spring
meeting
20 Soccer: A-League Grand Final
20 Horse Racing: Doncaster Mile,
Australian Oaks, Randwick, Sydney
20 Basketball: NBA play-offs begin
21 Rugby League: Country v City, Coffs
Harbour
April 26 – May 3 Swimming: Australian Championships (World
Championship selection trials), Adelaide
27 Horse Racing: Schweppes Oaks,
Sportingbet Classic, Morphettville,
Adelaide; Queen Elizabeth Stakes,
Sydney Cup, Champagne Stakes and
All Aged Stakes, Randwick, Sydney
Settle in, it’s going to get busy
Cadel EvansAustralia’s own tour de force takes on Tour de France
JuneBasketball: NBA fi nals
1 Horse Racing: Queensland Oaks,
Eagle Farm, Brisbane
2 60th anniversary of the Queen’s
Coronation
4 Soccer: World Cup qualifi er, Japan v
Australia, TBC
5 Rugby League: State of Origin
Game I, ANZ Stadium, Sydney
6-23 Cricket: ICC Champions Trophy in
England and Wales
8 Horse Racing: Stradbroke Handicap,
Eagle Farm, Brisbane; Horse Racing:
Triple Crown, Belmont Stakes, USA
11 Soccer: World Cup qualifi er, Australia
v Jordan, Etihad Stadium, Melbourne
13-16 Golf: US Open, Merion GC, USA
15-30 Soccer: FIFA Confederations Cup,
Brazil
18 Soccer: World Cup qualifi er, Australia
v Iraq, ANZ Stadium, Sydney
18-22 Horse Racing: Royal Ascot, England
22 Rugby Union: Australia v British and
Irish Lions 1st Test, Brisbane
24 June – 7 July Tennis: All England Championships, Wimbledon,
London
26 Rugby League: State of Origin
Game II, Queensland v NSW, Suncorp
Stadium, Brisbane
2 Rugby Union: Australia v British and
Irish Lions 2nd Test, Melbourne
29 June – July 21Cycling: Tour de France
JulyAPEC summit in Bali
1 First anniversary of the carbon
tax and mining tax
1 30th anniversary of the High
Court decision that stopped the
Franklin River being dammed
6 Rugby Union: Australia v British and
Irish Lions 3rd Test, Sydney
10-14 Cricket: Ashes 1st Test, England v
Australia, Trent Bridge, England
11 Queen’s Coronation Festival
14 or 15 Netball: Trans-Tasman
Championship Grand Final
17 Rugby League: State of Origin
Game III, NSW v Queensland, ANZ
Stadium, Sydney
18-21 Golf: British Open, Muirfi eld GC,
Scotland
18-22 Cricket: Ashes 2nd Test, England v
Australia, Lord’s, England
9 July – 4 August FINA World Aquatics Championships,
Barcelona, Spain
20 Soccer: Manchester United v
A-League All Stars, ANZ Stadium,
Sydney
23-28 World Youth Day, Rio de Janeiro
AugustPacifi c Islands Forum, Marshall Islands
1-4 Golf: World Golf Championship,
Bridgestone Invitational, Akron, USA
1-4 Golf: Women’s British Open, St
Andrew’s, Scotland
1-5 Cricket: Ashes 3rd Test, England v
Australia, Old Trafford, England
4 Rugby Union: Super Rugby Grand
Final
8-11 Golf: US PGA Championship, Oak Hill
CC, Rochester, USA
9-13 Cricket: Ashes 4th Test, England v
Australia, Chester-le-Street, England
10-18 Athletics: IAAF World
Championships, Moscow
17 Rugby Union: Bledisloe Cup/Rugby
Championship, Australia v New
Zealand, Sydney
21-25 Cricket: Ashes 5th Test – England v
Australia, The Oval, England
24 Rugby Union: Rugby Championship/
Bledisloe Cup, New Zealand v
Australia, Wellington, NZL
26 August – 8 SeptemberTennis: US Open, New York
28 50th anniversary of Martin
Luther King’s “I have a dream”
speech
29 Cricket: 1st T20 International,
England v Australia, Rose Bowl,
England
31 Cricket: 2nd T20 International,
England v Australia, Chester-le-
Street, England
When it comes to push and shove, we’re there
State of Origin
Game One,June 5
Whatever the event – sports, speeches or political sparring – AAP will be there
MayBasketball: WNBA season begins
4 Horse Racing: South Australian
Derby, Morphettville, Adelaide; Triple
Crown, Kentucky Derby, Churchill
Downs, Louisville, USA
4-26 Cycling: UCI WorldTour Giro d’Italia,
Italy
7 Last federal budget before
election
11 Horse Racing: Goodwood,
Morphettville, Adelaide; BTC Cup,
Doomben, Brisbane
11 Soccer: FA Cup Final, Wembley
Stadium, London
18 Horse Racing: Doomben Cup,
Doomben, Brisbane; Triple Crown,
Preakness Stakes, Pimlico
Racecourse, Baltimore USA
22 Man Booker Prize
25 Horse Racing: Doomben 10,000,
Doomben, Brisbane
25 Soccer: UEFA Champions League
Final, Wembley Stadium, London
26 May – 9 June Tennis: French Open, Paris
AFL Grand Final, September 28
9
December5-9 Cricket: Ashes 2nd Test, Australia v
England, Adelaide Oval
6 Soccer: 2014 FIFA World Cup draw
13-17 Cricket: Ashes 3rd Test, Australia v
England, WACA Ground, Perth
26 Yachting: Sydney to Hobart race
26-30 Cricket: Ashes 4th Test, Australia v
England, MCG
SeptemberCricket: Champions League T20
tournament, India
3 Cricket: ODI, Scotland v Australia,
Edinburgh, Scotland
5-6 G20 summit, St Petersburg,
Russia
6 Cricket: 1st ODI, England v Australia,
Headingley, England
7 Rugby Union: Rugby Championship,
New Zealand v Argentina, Hamilton
NZL
8 Cricket: 2nd ODI, England v
Australia, Old Trafford, England
9 Trial of Rebekah Brooks, former
head of News International due
to start
11 Cricket: 3rd ODI, England v Australia,
Edgbaston, England
14 Federal election
14 Cricket: 4th ODI, England v Australia,
Sophia Gardens, Wales
14 Rugby Union: Rugby Championship,
New Zealand v South Africa, Auckland
16 Cricket: 5th ODI, England v Australia,
Rose Bowl, England
23 AFL: Brownlow Medal, Melbourne
28 AFL: Grand Final, MCG, Melbourne
January3-7 Cricket: Ashes 5th Test, Australia v
England, SCG
Tennis: Sydney International
Horse Racing: Magic Millions, Gold Coast
Tennis: Australian Open, Melbourne
Cycling: UCI Tour Down Under, Adelaide
Winter Olympics: Sochi, Russia
Golden Globes
SAG Awards
FebruaryGolf: Australian Ladies Masters, Royal Pines
Resort, Gold Coast
Gridiron: Super Bowl XLVIII
Cricket: Allan Border Medal, Melbourne
Rugby Union: Super Rugby season starts
AFL: NAB Cup Round 1
Horse Racing: Blue Diamond Stakes,
Futurity Stakes and Oakleigh Plate, Caulfi eld,
Melbourne
Horse Racing: Futurity Stakes and Oakleigh
Plate, Caulfi eld, Melbourne
Cricket: One-Day Cup fi nal, venue TBC
BAFTA Awards
Academy Awards
MarchMarch-April – Basketball: NBL fi nals
Horse Racing: Australian Guineas,
Flemington, Melbourne
Surfi ng: ASP Men’s World Championship
Tour, Quiksilver Pro, Gold Coast; Surfi ng: ASP
Women’s World Championship Tour, Roxy Pro,
Gold Coast
Rugby League: NRL season starts
Basketball: WNBL, Grand fi nal
Motorsport: F1, Australian Grand Prix, Albert
Park, Melbourne
AFL: NAB Cup grand fi nal
AFL: Season starts
Rugby Union: Sevens World Series, Hong
Kong
Cricket: Sheffi eld Shield fi nal
Netball: Trans-Tasman Championship starts
Surfi ng: ASP Women’s WCT Rip Curl Pro,
Bell’s Beach Victoria
Surfi ng: ASP Men’s WCT, Rip Curl Pro, Bells
Beach Victoria
OctoberCHOGM Sri Lanka
ASEAN in Brunei
Basketball: WNBA fi nals; NBL and WNBL
seasons start
October-November – Cricket: Australia tour of India (7 ODIs and 1 Twenty20
match)
November-December – Rugby
Union: Australian Wallabies Spring Tour, Europe
3-6 Golf: Presidents Cup, Internationals v
USA, Muirfi eld Village, Dublin, USA
5 Second anniversary of Rena
grounding in New Zealand
6 Rugby League: NRL Grand Final,
ANZ Stadium, Sydney
8 10 years since the engagement
of Mary Donaldson and Crown
Prince Frederik of Denmark
11-13 Motorsport: V8 Supercars, Bathurst
1000, Mt Panorama
12 Horse Racing: Caulfi eld Guineas
Day, Caulfi eld, Melbourne
19 Rugby Union: Bledisloe Cup, New
Zealand v Australia, Dunedin, NZL
19 Horse Racing: Caulfi eld Cup,
Caulfi eld, Melbourne
20 Motorcycling Racing: Moto GP,
Australian Grand Prix, Phillip Island
20 Surf Life Saving: Coolangatta Gold,
Coolangatta Beach, Queensland
26 Rugby League: World Cup, England
v Australia, Millennium Stadium,
Cardiff, Wales
26 Horse Racing: Cox Plate, Moonee
Valley, Melbourne
NovemberEast Asia Summit, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
UN Climate Conference
Nov or Dec – Golf: Australian Masters, Royal
Melbourne; Australian Open, Sydney; Australian
PGA Championship, Queensland
2 Horse Racing: Victoria Derby,
Flemington, Melbourne
2 Rugby League: World Cup, Australia
v Fiji, Langtree Park, St Helens
2-3 Tennis: Fed Cup, World Group Final
5 Horse Racing: Melbourne Cup,
Flemington, Melbourne
7 Horse Racing: Oaks Day,
Flemington, Melbourne
8 or 9 Soccer: AFC Champions League
Final
9 Horse Racing: Emirates Stakes,
Flemington, Melbourne
9 Rugby League: World Cup, Australia
v Ireland, Thomond Park Stadium,
Limerick
15-1 Tennis: Davis Cup, World Group Final
19 Third anniversary of Pike River
mine disaster
21-25 Cricket: Ashes 1st Test, Australia v
England, Gabba
30 Rugby League: World Cup Final, Old
Trafford, Manchester
TennisServing up all the action, stats and colour
AprilApril-May – Cricket: IPL Twenty20
tournament, India
Horse Racing: Golden Slipper, The BMW,
Queen of the Turf Stakes, Storm Queen
Stakes and George Ryder Stakes, Rosehill,
Sydney; The Grand National, Aintree
Racecourse, Merseyside, England
Golf: US Masters, Augusta National, Augusta,
USA
Surf Life Saving: Australian Championships
Soccer: A-League Grand Final
Horse Racing: Doncaster Mile, Australian
Oaks, Randwick, Sydney
Basketball: NBA play-offs begin
Rugby League: Country v City
Swimming: Australian Championships
(World Championship selection trials),
Adelaide
Horse Racing: Schweppes Oaks,
Sportingbet Classic, Morphettville, Adelaide;
Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Sydney Cup,
Champagne Stakes and All Aged Stakes,
Randwick, Sydney
MayFederal Budget
Basketball: WNBA season begins
Cycling: UCI WorldTour Giro d’Italia, Italy
Soccer: FA Cup Final, Wembley Stadium,
London
Horse Racing: Doomben Cup, Doomben,
Brisbane; Triple Crown, Preakness Stakes,
Pimlico Racecourse, Baltimore USA
Horse Racing: Doomben 10,000, Doomben,
Brisbane
Tennis: French Open, Paris
Calendar 2014
Sydney to Hobart
December 26
Melbourne Fashion Festival from March 21
The Ashes tour from July 10
Formula One, March 2014
Oscars, February 2014
10
Audiences get to see what we seeAAP’s Reporter’s Take adds another dimension to storytelling
“News Limited newspapers and websites have been working closely with AAP for decades to meet our immediate publishing needs for news and results.
In recent years we have also forged a close relationship around multiple-platform sports content. AAP is now providing HTML multimedia products for big sporting events such as the Grand Prix and Australian Open tennis and gives us the freedom to tailor the look to suit our sites. They have also given us the ability to break out relevant content to stand alone on our sites.”
Toni HetheringtonNetwork Sports Editor – News Ltd
“I believe it is hard to overstate the importance of a centralised, rigorous source of news on the fragmented digital frontier of journalism.
Every news organisation faces pressure to publish/broadcast in an ever-tightening timeframe. This heightens the need for information that has been fact-checked.
My interaction with the editorial leadership team at AAP assures me they are aware of the pressure being experienced by traditional and new media houses.
The roll-out of digital news products is but one example of this awareness being turned into action.”
Steve SpezialeSouthern Cross Austereo Group News Director – Radio
How customers have extracted value from AAP“AAP’s news feed provides credible content to users and is an important part of the Local Today structure. It enables users to be informed of the top stories as they occur 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The AAP digital news feed and premium lifestyle content has allowed Local Today to create various sections on the home page … and has allowed quality content to be segregated by location and category. This enables users to view content that is relevant to them.”
Rob HardyLocal Today
AAP Newswire journalists have a front row seat to the most important and
exciting news events in Australia – and now audiences can share the experience.
Reporter’s Take – a 45-second video report embedded in the newswire’s breaking news service – enables our journalists to deliver the stories behind the stories.
With entertaining anecdotes and sharp observation, journalists talk directly to the audience about how the story came together – the background, the process, eye-witness and personal accounts.
It gives the story a heartbeat.“It’s all about what we see
in the fi eld on assignment in the pursuit of a news story and
we want to share that with our audience,” explained AAP editor-in-chief Tony Gillies.
“It is not about opinion or analysis. It simply draws the audience deeper into the story through letting them experience what we experience.
“By fusing text with video, Reporter’s Take injects an extra dimension that enhances and enriches our storytelling.”
The Reporter’s Take video vignettes are embedded in the text of the story sent on AAP wires and can be viewed on an opt-in basis.
As media companies innovate and respond to audience demand, video is playing an increasingly important role in online news publishing.
“Audiences want and expect dynamic, multi-dimensional
news content online,” Gillies said.
“Reporter’s Take adds value to the story – for both the audience and the publisher.”
It also plays an important role in underpinning the authority and profession of journalism.
“With the rising tide of blog-gers, it is essential for media organisations to delineate between professional journalists and people who are in the slip-
stream of the profession,” Gillies said. “Our reporters are trained and experienced. Their work is put through rigid and robust processes to deliver accurate, fair and balanced reporting.
“And our reporters attend thousands of news events every year. They are on the spot, witnessing and reporting on these events.
“Reporter’s Take puts our experience and our
professionalism on show.”AAP will produce between 20
and 25 Reporter’s Take videos each week from its bureaus in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra, before rolling it out across its network in the coming months.
Reporter’s Take videos will be available for news publishing online, mobile and tablet.
“Storytelling is overdue an update,” Gillies said.
With the heat of the story still pumping through her veins, reporter Elise Scott adds another layer to her yarn with a 45-second video vignette that recounts a gem she’s just witnessed.
11
AAP photographer captures the drama of Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s ‘rescue’ from protesters … and a top award
“AAP has proved to be an indispensable resource to us for the last 10 years. It has enabled us to provide up-to-the-minute, concise yet thorough coverage of events as they happen. When news breaks, Chinese people fi rst turn to us for information and this would not be possible without the assistance of the AAP. Thanks to your services.”
Karol QiAustralian Chief Editor – Epoch Times
“As Australia’s leading learning company, Pearson brings learning solutions to students of all kinds. As part of that, we rely on AAP to help provide real-world, real-life examples, which help make learning come alive. Fast, reliable, with exceptional service and a huge collection that spans many eras and regions, AAP is one of our preferred providers.”
Megan Retka TiddPearson Australia
Re: images
Quality news and a safe pair of hands
“Our relationship with AAP is essential and it is vital for us to show our readers the good quality articles/images relating to Australian news that illustrates our features.
Working with AAP is a breeze. They are very helpful, understanding and easy to work with”
Robyn HynesPhoto Editor, Marie Claire – Pacifi c Magazines
“Great combination of voice of authority and social media to provide a dynamic product and valuable resource for the community... We had some really good audience results for the day and the AAP content was an important component...”
Chris McAseyGroup Manager News & Finance, Telstra BigPond
Re: Livewire feed on heatwave
It’s rare for news agencies to win awards of any kind because their content is used so widely, by so
many subscribers, on so many platforms. Which makes it extra special to win one of the highest accolades in Australian media – a Walkley Award.
Canberra-based photographer Lukas Coch was covering the 2012 Australia Day events in Canberra when protesters stormed a restaurant in Canberra hosting PM Julia Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott. Lukas’s images of a shoeless Gillard being escorted away by her security detail, with Abbott in tow, were used widely in Australia and overseas.
They won the Walkley for best news photo of the year and also took out the PANPA news
picture of the year. Another multi-award winner was Darwin correspondent Xavier LaCanna who scooped the pool at the Northern Territory media awards – taking out journalist of the year, best news coverage, and best feature for his body of work in the NT throughout 2012.
Melbourne-based sports writer Roger Vaughan won the media prize at the Cycling Australia annual awards event for his coverage in 2012, which included the Tour Downunder, the Cycling World Championships, Cadel Evans’ failed Tour De France title defence, the Olympic Games cy-cling events and of course the fall from grace of Lance Armstrong.
Still on sport, Sydney-based Darren Walton was a fi nalist in the Australian Sports Commission media awards for
best individual coverage of sport. Darren covered the four grand slam tennis events in 2012, plus the British Open golf but was also recognised for his excellent writing and coverage across all sports.
Canberra reporter Lisa Martin was runner-up in the Wallace Brown award for the Federal Parliament’s young journalist of the year. Lisa’s much-deserved effort is a double for AAP after the late Peter Veness was also runner-up in this award in 2011.
And Michelle Henderson, now a medical writer, had a small victory at the Victoria Law Foundation’s Legal Reporting Awards for her previous role as Melbourne court reporter, being highly commended in the best online report category for a feature.
When we all saw this image of a vulnerable Julia Gillard being bundled out of harm’s way during an angry protest, we thought Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston in the movie The Bodyguard. The image went global and resonated with many news award judges too. It had everything.
12
The full Newswire menu
News of the dayAAP Newswire provides
comprehensive and diverse
news coverage of Australian
and International aff airs
around the clock. From its
own resources and that of its
international agency partners,
the wire ticks over more than
1200 stories a day.
Politics, the economy,
crime, confl ict, disasters,
entertainment, the
environment, science, sport,
health … it’s all in real time
and it sets the news agenda.
And while the agency is
renowned for its fast-breaking
news, it also provides context
and analysis to the lead
stories with features and
sharp backgrounders.
The depth and scope of
the Newswire across all
categories enables clients
to tailor feeds to match their
audience requirements.
Entertainment – Lifestyle News & FeaturesAAP’s Premium
Entertainment and
Lifestyle service taps into
the best content AAP and
international partner agencies
have on off er.
With engaging Australian
domestic coverage, and
exciting and informative
stories from the world stage,
AAP brings together the
most comprehensive and
compelling content across
multiple categories.
AAP’s Premium feed is
continually updated and
off ers an unprecedented
amount and variety of
content – up to 400 new
stories a week.
ImagesAAP Newswire off ers close
to 4000 images a day across
all categories. The news of
the day – here and abroad
– is complemented by an
impressive library of creative
stock and features imagery.
AAP’s collections comprise
rights-managed news, sport,
entertainment and fashion
photography, royalty free
(stock) and creative. Our
archive is supported with
international content from
our exclusive partners and
suppliers.
At any time there are more
than four million pictures to
browse. Full access allows
clients to search for and
select the required images
across our entire collection.
Picture StreamAAP’s Picture Stream off ers a
seamless delivery of images
attached to articles, with little
or no editorial intervention. It
can be used across website,
mobile products and digital/
outdoor screen networks.
With users demanding
related multimedia content,
Picture Stream allows digital
publishers to serve up deeper
and more targeted content.
Interactive GraphicsAAP’s interactive graphics
incorporate a wealth of
multimedia – text, images,
data and dynamic content.
There’s nothing quite like
telling a story in this way.
AAP creates these
interactives around key news,
sports and entertainment
events as well as big breaking
news stories. They are
designed to drive repeat
digital traffi c to your web and
mobile sites and keep it there.
A full schedule of planned
interactive graphics is
available and sales teams can
take advantage of advertising
opportunities. All interactives
are in HTML5 and hosted by
AAP with an embed code.
VideoOur video service off ers
a combination of ready-
to-use video packages,
compelling raw (lightly
edited) vision and an archive
service covering political
news, entertainment and
sports news stories.
The fl exibility of “ready
to use” packaged video -
voiced or unvoiced – lets
you, specify what style you
want. Wrap AAP video in
local advertising to drive
traffi c to your website and
increase advertising revenue.
DataThe AAP data team provides
critical sports, racing and
fi nance data – all levels,
all categories, and at all
times. This a true turn-key
solution for publishers as
this information completes
the coverage for news, sport,
racing and fi nance.
Tell the story, provide the
facts and show the detail.
Newswire LiveAAP Newswire Live is a
multimedia news curation
platform that harnesses text,
images, video and social
media in a single blog-style
form that unrolls breaking
news the moment it happens.
Bringing together AAP
text, images and video with a
broad range of social media
commentary and the most
relevant and engaging content
from the web, Newswire Live
is fast and compelling. AAP
hosts and curates the live
feed and off ers customisation
on the look and feel of this
product to produce a unique
embeddable product for each
subscriber.
Any big breaking story is
ripe for the Live treatment,
however events such as
elections, awards shows,
grand fi nals, World Cups
Olympics and big race days
are a specialty.
PoliticsFederal politics often drives
the news cycle, so it’s a critical
part of AAP’s general news
service. Our Canberra news-
room serves up a stand-alone
parliamentary news feed
along with key movements
in and out of the ministerial
portfolios. We remain one of
the few media organisations
attending all parliamentary
sessions, ensuring nothing
is missed. And, of course, as
the election date has been
set, the logistics of covering
a coast-to-coast off ensive by
the key parties has been set in
motion. Expect even-handed
and quick-fi re coverage and
analysis of the promises, the
wins and the losses.
Each of the news agency’s
city bureaus is committed to
state parliament coverage
providing relevant coverage
of local policy and planning
decisions.
Business & Finance AAP brings together the talent
and resourcefulness of its
own domestic reporters along
with the scope and depth
of agency partners to create
a well-rounded business
and fi nance news and data
service.
The business news fi le
ticks over general fi nance
news, markets and exchange
information, interest rates
news and analysis, company
announcements across all
sectors, and off ers context
through features and
backgrounders.
But come reporting season,
there’s a fl ood of news and
information.
Finance ExtraFor those who demand a richer service for their audiences,
AAP Newswire off ers an enhanced suite of business news
services – from features, CEO interviews and profi les, industry
and company specials, personal fi nance articles, Australian equity
and commodity market commentary and consumer-driven stories.
RacingAAP’s stand-alone daily
racing news service provides
the latest breaking news
on trainers, jockeys, horses
and the racing industry
personalities.
It also off ers in depth
coverage of the spring an
autumn racing carnivals.
SportSport is at the core of AAP’s
content off ering, providing
news coverage across all
football codes, cricket, golf,
motorsport, tennis, swimming,
athletics, as well as other
major and minor sports.
The stories and scores
come thick and fast but it’s
not just about match day.
We’re there for the training,
the recovery sessions and the
mid-week announcements.
And when our national
teams are on the world stage,
we’re there too. When it
comes to the big events, AAP
comes into its own on preview
content, event planning and
delivery logistics.
Newswireservice inquiries
02 9322 [email protected]
Image service inquiries
02 9322 [email protected]
13
Australian Associated Press has been serving Australian media since 1935, evolving from
a news syndication service to a dynamic news company with incredible reach.
AAP serves virtually all local news media, which comprises 800 newspapers, including 50 dailies, fi ve free-to-air television networks, two pay TV networks and 550 radio stations.
Our news content is a reference point and an agenda setter. We are a fast, quality, reliable and unbiased source of comprehensive news and information, with a unique relationship with
every newsroom in Australia. Journalists, photographers and editors deliver about 4500 stories, images, video clips, audio fi les, news graphics and data fi les every day against the backdrop of a fast-paced and unpredictable breaking-news environment.
Anything that shapes Australia, or enthrals educates and informs Australians, moves on our wires.
AAP covers every aspect of local news, including federal and state politics, courts and crime, industrial relations, police, health, scientifi c and medical breakthroughs, the environment, celebrity news and stories of hope and endeavour.
As well as this wide-ranging offering, AAP provides comprehensive sport and fi nance news services, plus fi nance, racing and sports data, and ready-to-print newspaper pages, for all media in this region.
Australia’s media also relies on AAP for most of its international
news and images, which we provide through commercial partnerships with major global agencies such the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, EFE, DPA and Knight-Ridder.
It’s not a straight pass-on exercise. Many story angles are sharpened for this market.
The content makes its way on to all media platforms. The work by our dedicated team builds the foundation of content in newspapers, radio and television news bulletins, talk-back and lifestyle programs, websites, news screens, tablet applications and other mobile platforms.
Put simply, our copy is everywhere – but most people wouldn’t know it.
Much of our subscriber feedback particularly recognises AAP’s value in areas such as reliability, accuracy, round-the-clock, ready-to-use news – they see the service as indispensable.
What we stand for Accuracy Speed Balance Impartiality Independence
Where we areAAP employs about 180 full-time journalists and photographers and a large pool of casual employees in 16 locations.
We have bureaus in all Australian capitals as well as in Cairns and on the Gold Coast and correspondents in Los Angeles, Port Moresby, Jakarta and London.
We’re also represented across the Tasman by New Zealand Newswire, or NZN, with a presence in Wellington and Auckland.
Our off shore reporters provide an intelligent perspective of their regions, identifying critical links to Australia. They’ll also dig out the quirky stories that will simply entertain audiences.
The story behind the news
AdelaideBrisbaneCairnsCanberra
DarwinGold CoastHobartMelbourne
PerthSydney
AucklandWellingtonJakarta
LondonLos AngelesPort Moresby
New Zealand NewswireThe team and reputation behind Australia’s leading breaking news brand, AAP, has launched an independent and cost-effective multimedia news and information service in New Zealand.
Serving publishers and broadcasters in New Zealand and the Pacifi c, New Zealand Newswire (NZN) has been operating since the closure of the New Zealand Press Association in August 2011.
Though owned and operated by AAP, the entire NZN team comprises New Zealanders who are as passionate about balanced, fair and accurate news reporting as they are about their country.
AAP Newswire’s trusted content partners Aside from a rich seam of Australian news and data produced by AAP Newswire, subscribers reap the benefi t of the content brought in from third parties worldwide. Each is renowned for its accuracy and reliability and we’re proud to have the following partners on board helping us serve subscribers better:
NEWS AND FEATURESAssociated PressAgence France PressThe Press AssociationScripps HowardMcClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT)Agencia EFEDeutsche Presse AgenturGlobal PostCoverMediaNoise11World Entertainment News NetworkFashion Wire Daily
IMAGESEuropean Pressphoto AgencyAssociated PressInvisionMedical Picture Collection
WhoSayGeoEyeCanadian PressImaginechinaScanpixKyodoKeystoneYonhapAgence France PresseStarmaxPress AssociationAbacaAbaca USAAnwar HusseinS&G BarrattsEMPICS EntertainmentEMPICS SportDeutche Press AgenturMoodboardMary Evans
Famous UKFashion Wire dailyWildlightJennifer GaylockMartin Philbey CollectionSetford News Photo Agency
DATADow JonesReutersASXInfostradaFox SportsRISAThoroughbred Racing SAThe Ratings BureauAdvanced Racing Technology
Domestic bureaus International bureaus
14
THE STAGE IS SET: Actor Geoff ery
Rush poses at Her Majesty’s Theatre
in Melbourne, ahead of the launch of
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way
to the Forum, October 29, 2012.
AAP/Julian Smith
FOUR MORE YEARS: US President Barack Obama celebrates with First
Lady Michelle Obama on election night in Chicago, November 6, 2012.
Obama swept to re-election, forging history by transcending a slow economic
recovery and the high unemployment which haunted his fi rst term to beat
Republican Mitt Romney. AFP/Jewel Samad
WHISTLEBLOWER: Julian Assange arrives at the Supreme Court in London, February 1, 2012. The Australian
WikiLeaks founder has been given asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy since June to avoid extradition to Sweden,
where he is wanted over sexual assault allegations. AP/Kirsty Wigglesworth
MARCH OF THE PENGUIN: An
adelie penguin walks past the bow
of the Aurora Australis, which is
wedged in ice at Commonwealth
Bay, 20km from Mawson’s Hut in
Antarctica, January 13, 2012.
AAP/Dean Lewins
Witness: news & life
The world’s a
stage
NEW STYLE: South Korean pop artist Psy in Sydney, October 16, 2012.
AAP/Tracey Nearmy
15
SMILEY FACE: Facebook
CEO Mark Zuckerberg in San
Francisco, November 15, 2010.
AP/Paul Sakuma
VICTORY: An emotional Sally
Pearson (top) after winning the
the 100m hurdles at the London
Olympics, August 7, 2012.
Dave Hunt
WATER WORKS: Michael Phelps
during swimming heats at the
London Olympic Games,
July 28, 2012.
EPA/Patrick B. Kraemer
MEA CULPA: Lance Armstrong
(middle) grimaces during a news
conference in Galveston, Texas,
April 1, 2012. The seven-time Tour de
France winner admitted doping to
TV host Oprah Winfrey in January.
AP/Michael Paulsen
SKY’S THE LIMIT: Bjoern Einar
Romoeren of Norway makes an
attempt at the Four Hills ski jumping
tournament in Innsbruck, Austria,
January 3, 2012.
AP/Matthias Schrader
FACE OF HOPE: An Afghan refugee girl looks back after picking up a tyre in a
slum on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan, November 26, 2012.
AP/Muhammed Muheisen
YELLOW SUBMARINES: A car
park full of taxis is fl ooded after
superstorm Sandy in Hoboken,
New Jersey, October 30, 2012.
AP/Charles Sykes
See it but can you
believe it?
NAME AND SHAME: Alan Jones addresses the media in Sydney,
September 30, 2012. The outspoken 2GB breakfast host apologised
over comments in which he said the prime minister’s father had “died of
shame”. AAP/Warren Clarke
16
LONDON GAMES
The biggest global event in 2012 was
the London Olympics and AAP sent
its largest ever team to cover the
Games.
Led by editor Mike Osborne, the
33-strong contingent provided about
200 text items a day for almost
a month, with a huge focus on
multimedia content, images, video
and interactive graphics. The team
also provided rich preview content in
the lead-up to the Games.
AAP’s Olympic coverage hit where
it mattered: in breaking news, and we
managed to lead the daily agenda
from the fl ag-bearer controversy and
rare video of the bottle thrower at
the 100m men’s sprint fi nal, to shots
of the spectacular Aussie spill at the
sailing.
ROYAL CELEBRATIONS
AAP Newswire became an avid
royal watcher in 2012 as the world
rekindled its love and fascination
with the House of Windsor.
From Queen Elizabeth’s
celebration of 60 years’ reign, to the
Asia-Pacifi c tours of Will and Kate
and Charles and Camilla.
Be it remote islands or the big
cities, we were there every step
of the way to bring subscribers
the visits, ceremonies, feel-good
moments and odd-ball antics. And
when the magazines and tabloids
abroad let loose with racy images,
we were there for the reaction.
It seems too much is never enough
to fi ll websites and bulletins for
royal-savvy Australasian audiences.
BALI COMMEMORATIONS
October 12, 2012, marked 10 years
since the worst terror attack on
Australians – the Bali bombings in
Kuta in which 202 people perished,
including 88 Australians.
It was remembered around
Australia and in Bali, where Prime
Minister Julia Gillard attended
a ceremony. AAP was there in
numbers, fi ling words, images and
video of survivors and victims’
families.
Reporters who had been on the
ground in 2002 returned to move
the story on. This was just one of the
many occasions when AAP travelled
the globe. APEC, G20 meetings,
ASEAN, UN, Pacifi c Islands forums …
and from Antartica to Afghanistan.
To tell it right, you have to be there.
FOREIGN POSTINGS
Nothing beats being there and in 2012
our full-time foreign correspondents
in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia
were worth their weight in gold.
Jakarta-based Karlis Salna broke
the story about Indonesian police
killing fi ve suspected terrorists in
Bali, and he got the jump on the
story about Schapelle Corby being
recommended for early release.
And the turmoil of PNG meant
Port Moresby-based Eoin Blackwell
never had a dull moment as he got
caught up in the constitutional drama
during an interview with a high court
judge when his offi ce was stormed by
angry politicians and their supporters.
Despite the danger and anxious
moments Eoin fi lmed the whole
event.
DE-MYSTIFYING BIG BUSINESS
Billions of dollars a day are traded
on the Australian fi nancial markets
and AAP’s Finance Desk is dedicated
to covering the key decisions as they
happen. Aimed at digital publishers
and dealers who trade in real time,
the desk then provides the context
for print and tablet publishers.
But in 2012, AAP added an extra
dimension to its business news
coverage with the creation of the
Premium Finance service. Peter Trute
as senior fi nance writer and erudite
economist Garry Shilson-Josling,
provide stories that educate and
inform in an accessible format.
Other specialist staff provide
stories on an ad-hoc basis to
supplement the work by Peter
and Garry.
THE WINNING EDGE
Australia’s big obsession is sport.
In summer cricket and tennis. In
winter, it’s the footy. Week in, week
out – whether it’s AFL or NRL, Shield
cricket or a Test match, Group 1
thoroughbreds or V8 racing – AAP
is at every major event in Australia
providing fast, quality multimedia
coverage.
During the week, the
media conferences and news
announcements are covered to
the same standard, with video and
interactive graphics throughout the
season for the major sports.
THAT’S ENTERTAINMENTAAP Newswire enhanced its commitment to entertainment, features and lifestyle content in 2012.
It fed a seemingly insatiable demand for the latest updates on TV and fi lm stars, musicians, singers, sports stars … for online, mobile, tablet and print.
Coverage of red carpet arrivals at major events has developed into a big part of AAP’s multimedia off ering.
Interactive graphics that use words, images, video and quizzes added another dimension to entertainment coverage in 2012 and is set to soar to new heights in 2013 and beyond.
The AAP Premium team also provided a wealth of features across a range of leisure topics in 2012, including motoring, technology, travel, the arts and fashion as well as food and wine.
And AAP has appointed a social media writer to keep tabs on what’s hot on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and on Youtube.
It’s been the time of our lives
TRANS-TASMAN NEWSThe closure of the New Zealand Press Association in August 2011, after 132 years, prompted AAP to create its own NZ Newswire to ensure a strong fl ow of NZ news into Australia.
Fulltime staff in Wellington
and Auckland, and freelancers elsewhere, now produce up to 70 stories a day for broadcast and digital subscribers.
NZN staff travelled with Prime Minister John Key to cover many of his overseas trips, and a team was in London for the Olympics as part
of the overall AAP team covering the Games.
The fi rst anniversary of NZN was celebrated in September 2012, with the organisation’s subscriber base happy with the independence and commitment to quality.
POLITICAL MANOEUVRINGSFormer prime minister Kevin Rudd was back in the political spotlight when he launched a challenge to Julia Gillard’s leadership in February 2012.
From the fi rst snap when Rudd stepped down as foreign minister until the wrap on his defeat that took in sports minister Mark Arbib’s resignation, the AAP coverage from Canberra and the other bureaus was fast, accurate and compelling.
In addition to the text coverage, AAP had excellent pictures and video throughout the saga and the graphics team put together some engaging interactive graphics in super quick time.
The timing was great for the new AAP political news website AAPNewswire Politics, launched in February and pitched at politicians, political junkies, government, industry bodies and the corporate sector.
The Federal Budget is the annual set piece for AAP’s real-time coverage. The six-hour Budget lock-up ends at 7.30pm, with AAP’s fi rst text alert moving 17 seconds later, followed by more than 100 separate stories or factboxes, two videos, seven graphics and dozens of images within 10 minutes. Another 70 stories of budget reaction with relevant images were fi led within two hours.
What we saw, what we did and how you ran it