America 250 The AP in History
Three versions of the Gettysburg Address in newspapers published on Nov 20 and 21, 1893: From left, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (the AP account), The New York Times, and The Chicago Tribune.
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Precisely 180 years ago, a handful of New York news executives looking to save money on coverage had an idea. Today, it is called The Associated Press. Five newspaper publishers in New York City agreed in 1846 to pool resources in order to speed the delivery of news about the U.S. war with Mexico using a pony-express relay through Alabama to a telegraph office. Those beginnings gave birth to an organization that in many ways became the backbone of the news industry. The AP claims some 4 billion people, nearly half of the world’s population, see news produced by the company on a typical day. The company has chronicled the nation’s big moments for much of the 250-year history of the American republic.
