Sure, broadcast networks “break” news, but they often get a little help from their friends — or, reports from wire services that have reporters stationed on location as events happen.
But for the next week, CNN wants to prove its newsgathering grit by saying no to the Associated Press wire service and relying on its own wires to deliver breaking news.
“CNN has made a conscious effort in the last few years to reduce our reliance on outside wire services,” CNN representative Christa Robinson said. “Currently CNN.com does not use stories or images from the AP.”
As part of the test, the network will evaluate the need for an AP subscription, and will look to staff for feedback on how a lack of AP wires affects workflow. CNN already offers an external wire service to other news outlets.
The network is known for its breaking news coverage, which has some from the inside fearing it won’t be able to keep up.
“A lot of us are worried this could hamper our newsgathering abilities, but it’s too soon to know for sure,” a staffer in the D.C. bureau told Yeas & Nays.
For now, we’ll have to stay tuned to see if Team CNN can keep flashing the breaking news banner, or at least keep us intrigued through a commercial break.
