Alan Robinson

When I see a crappy AP lead, I usually cut the writer some slack because of the impossible deadline. But now you're telling me there's an editor back in New York who is reading that lead before it goes out and often thinking "hey, here's a better one, let's try this"? Yikes. That says a lot about AP, and none of it good.

 

Are we talking about the NewsNow file, or the first writethrough? And how, in most cases, could be screwed up about "Pete Pigskin scored three touchdowns to lead Podunk past Smalltown 24-7 Sunday night" that would require someone not at the stadium to do the story?

 

That's just it, though. Robinson would get full-length gamers across the wire quicker than most AP writers (it seems) can get the three-graph APNewsNow file out there.

 

It's my understanding this was after about 20 inches or so of copy were on the wire and they were in the rewrite process. His optional lead wasn't changed but instead he wasn't allowed to write it. A sports editor who was not at the game stepped in and wrote it instead.

 

In the matter of creating work to justify one's job in tough times, middle editors often rank up there with school district administrators. They attend similar numbers of meetings as well.

 

After last night, in which the AFC Championship story had about four lead paragraphs in it, it appears his absence has already been noted.

 

has he applied for Olbermann's job? He sounds perfect.

 

Something's really not adding up to me. Obviously, there's more than a dispute over the tone of a simple gamer here. But at the same time, someone who wasn't at the game, and may not have even watched it on the tube, is writing the story under someone else's byline? Am I missing something here? Or does this happen often on higher levels of writing??

 

I must also say, I've got to stand up for Paul Newberry's speediness in Atlanta. It's always something I've been glad for -- working in the Atlanta area with one of the AP's best writers.

 

Speaking of speedy writers, I'm a big fan of Jimmy Golen in Boston. He seemed like he was always one of the fastest.

 

I prefer the deadline adherence of Jaime Aron.

 

Always liked the speed of Greg Beacham in Los Angeles, and San Francisco before that, as well.