Australian Associated Press Closing after 85 Years

Australian Associated Press national news agency said Tuesday it was closing after 85 years, blaming a decline in subscriptions and free distribution of news content on digital platforms.

"The saddest day: AAP closes after 85 years of journalistic excellence, and the AAP family will be sorely missed," AAP Chief Editor Tony Gillies said in a tweet.

AAP's more than 170 journalists will cease operations by June 26. Its Pagemasters editorial production service will also close at the end of August, the company said.

More than 170 journalists from AAP are expected to cease operations by June 26. The editorial development service for Pagemasters will also end in late August, the firm added.

"The overwhelming effect of digital platforms that take material from other individuals and offer it for free has contributed to too many businesses opting not to use professional service from AAP anymore," the company said in a statement. "We have reached the point where it is no longer viable to continue."

Sydney-based AAP is known for its fair and impartial coverage and its remarkable scope across Australia, both rural and urban.

The Australian Parliament applauded AAP for its contributions an hour after its demise was made public .

"When you have such an important institution such as AAP coming to an end, ... that is a matter of real concern," Prime Minister Scott Morrison told Parliament.

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese said, "Today is a tragedy for our democracy."

"You will leave a massive void in terms of information coverage," he added.

AAP Chairman Campbell Reid said the organization had been for generations "journalism's first responder."

"It is a great loss that professional and researched information provided by AAP is being substituted with the un-researched and often inaccurate information that masquerades as real news on the digital platforms," Reid said.

AAP's domestic nationwide news coverage with bureaus in every state and territory is complemented by alliances with major international news agencies including The Associated Press.

The AP permits AAP for penetration into the Australian media industry and its clients for its reporting text and video services. AP also has the right to use text and images from AAP.

AAP was founded in 1935 by Keith Murdoch, the newspaper editor, father of Rupert Murdoch, chairman of Reporting Corp.

AAP is owned by Australian news organizations News Corp. Australia, Nine Entertainment Co., Seven West Media and Australian Community Media.

The first inkling that most AAP staff had that their jobs were in danger came on Monday with a Nine newspapers report that noted the weakest advertising market since the global financial crisis in 2008.

AAP made a modest 929,000 Australian dollar ($608,000) profit last year on AU$65,674,000 ($43 million) revenue.

AAP management broke the news of the closure to staff on Tuesday afternoon.

"We are obviously devastated by the news," AAP Canberra Bureau Chief Paul Osborne said.

"But we are proud of AAP's achievements over 85 years and know that everyone who worked on the wire gave it their all, in the name of fair, balanced and accurate reporting, " the 20-year AAP veteran said.

AAP Melbourne reporter Benita Kolovos described as "heartwarming" the sight of #saveAAP trending on Twitter on Tuesday afternoon.

"I work with the best women and men and hope I will continue to be able to," Kolovos tweeted. "Impartial journalism is vital to our democracy. Without it, the public will be worse off."

Her Melbourne colleague Karen Sweeney noted that AAP's top 10 sports stories on Monday were published 1,595 times and the top 10 news stories were published 2,514 times.

"That's 4109 blank spaces on websites and newspapers, dead air on the radio that would need to be filled without us," Sweeney tweeted.

AAP Brisbane reporter Christine Flatley described her workplace since 2006 as "hands down the best news organization I have worked for."

Australian media organizations are under mounting financial pressure with global digital giants Google and Facebook taking a growing chunk of advertising revenue.

Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance, the journalists' union, described the decision to shut down AAP as a "gross abandonment of responsibility by its shareholders -- Australia's major media outlets."

"Bean-counters at the top of media organizations might think they can soldier on without AAP, but the reality is it will leave a huge hole in news coverage," the union's federal president, Marcus Strom, said in a statement.

"Filling those holes will fall to already overburdened newsroom journalists. Or coverage will simply cease to occur," he said.

Source: AP