Gannett, which publishes USA Today and hundreds of other local newspapers, will no longer use the Associated Press’ content starting next week. This is a significant blow to the legacy not-for-profit wire service collective that still heavily depends on its premium memberships for revenue.
Gannett will stop using AP dispatches, photos, and video from March 25, according to an internal memo from chief content officer Kristin Roberts, obtained by the New York Times.
Kristin Roberts said on Tuesday that they produce more journalism daily than the AP, and not paying for AP content will allow them to redirect more funds to their teams and address potential gaps. memoThis decision marks the end of a long-standing relationship between the world’s largest news organization and the publisher of USA Today. For years, AP editors created content for USA Today’s famous “News From Around Our 50 States” page, following strict word-count guidelines and tight deadlines to fit the paper’s print graphics.
“We are surprised and dismayed by this memo,” an AP spokesperson told TheWrap. “Our discussions with Gannett have been productive and are ongoing. We hope Gannett will continue to support the AP beyond the end of their membership term in 2024, as they have for over a century.”
In a statement from Gannett, the company mentioned that the decision “allows us to invest more in our newsrooms and make use of our incredible USA TODAY Network of over 200 newsrooms nationwide, as well as USA TODAY to reach and engage more readers, viewers, and listeners.”
In a statement The company will terminate its premium AP subscription from March 25 and “redirect more funds to our teams.”