AP-ing the News

In an attempt to attract more readers in an age when reading has become passé, the Associated Press (AP) is endeavoring to spice up its writing with a little more artistic flair. The media organization recently announced that it will begin providing its 1,700 members with two versions of the same news story lead: one “traditional” and one “optional.” The latter alternative will be designed for those newspapers wanting to offer readers “something fresh so they will want to pick up the newspaper and read a story,” according to an AP advisory. Conspicuously lacking in this new initiative, however, is the tried and true logic that news stories should focus on the facts, leaving any editorializing or biases to its illustrious opinion pages.

Crafting a compelling lead for a news story may very well prove difficult, particularly for stories on the seemingly insignificant. But we have faith in writers; rather than sensationalizing their stories and shading the facts in the quest for more readers, news writers should find ways, as they always have, of marrying objectivity with compelling news writing. Preserving impartiality in a paper’s news stories should be a primary concern for any responsible managing editor. By opting for more “artistic” devices, the AP risks losing credibility and undermines its purpose of presenting the news with a neutral, unbiased voice.

According to the advisory, “The concept is simple: On major spot stories...[the AP] will provide you with two versions to choose between. One will be the traditional ‘straight lead’ that leads with the main facts of what took place. The other will be the ‘optional,’ an alternative approach that attempts to draw in the reader through imagery, narrative devices, perspective or other creative means.” In an effort to illustrate how such a policy can go awry, we offer some hypothetical examples with some of the news stories printed in today’s Crimson.

Straight Lead: After 18 years behind the counter at Louie’s Superette, Cheng-san Chen is stepping down as manager and owner, handing over the popular convenience store to new leadership.

Like the execution of Charles I, with Cheng-san Chen’s impending departure from Louie’s Superette the head will be lopped off the East River’s alcohol-consuming majority.

Straight Lead: Every month, around 10 new student groups come before the Committee on College Life (CCL), seeking the approval that grants money provided by the College.

What do Mahjong, Wisconsin, and Barbershop Quartets have in common? Whether they believe in tile-flipping, brat-cooking, or harmony-seeking, they’re all soon to be Harvard-sponsored student groups.

Straight Lead: The faculty have spoken, but now students at Harvard’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) have a chance to weigh in on President Lawrence H. Summers’ leadership of the University as well.

In an online equivalent of the Tennis Court Oath, Harvard’s graduate students will soon have an opportunity to express their dissatisfaction at the higher estates.

Straight Lead: In an attempt to find treatments for diseases like juvenile diabetes and Parkinson’s disease, University Provost Steven E. Hyman has approved plans for controversial research that would clone human cells to create embryonic stem cells.

A salvo across the bow of religious interest groups, University Provost Steven E. Hyman’s recent approval of stem cell research is an attempt to sink genetic diseases for good.

In all of these examples, the word choices and linguistic quirks that necessarily characterize “creative” writing lend an implicit bias to the story. If a lead uses metaphor to enliven descriptions—as the lead about Louie’s does, above—the object of comparison chosen can reflect a biased view. Likening Cheng-san Chen’s departure from Louie’s to the beheading of Charles I doesn’t reflect so well on the former.

Creative leads can also belittle news. Depending on the story, the casual and sometimes flip language necessary to make metaphors work can undermine the seriousness of issue. One might wonder how an optional lead might work for a suicide bombing in Iraq, for instance. Luckily, the AP has already generated a sample:

MOSUL, Iraq (AP)—Yet again, almost as if scripted, a day of hope for a new, democratic Iraq turned into a day of tears as a bloody insurgent attack undercut a political step forward.

Almost as if scripted, the downfall of unbiased news has begun.