Is new AP head saving or destroying the AP?

[MBS]

In case you've been wondering why the AP has suddenly been so different lately. . changes instituted by new head, Ron Fournier

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0708/11716.html

Johnson. .. regards Fournier, who replaced her in a hard-feelings shake-up in May, as a threat to one of the most influential institutions in American journalism.
“I loved the Washington bureau,” said Johnson, who left the AP after losing the prestigious position. “I just hope he doesn’t destroy it.”

. . high-stakes experiment at the 162-year old wire to move from its signature neutral and detached tone to an aggressive, plain-spoken style of writing that Fournier often describes as “cutting through the clutter.”
In the stories the new boss is encouraging, first-person writing and emotive language are okay.
So is scrapping the stonefaced approach to journalism that accepts politicians’ statements at face value and offers equal treatment to all sides of an argument. . .
. . . .

“It seems to me there’s a conscious effort to inject bias in the story, though obviously Fournier would see it differently,” Taranto told Politico. “It’s a conscious move in the direction of advocacy journalism.”

However it’s described, it’s clear Fournier’s voice has drawn favorable treatment from the Drudge Report, which has linked to eight of his articles already this year, each in a standout format with his name in all caps and no mention of the AP . . .

[Tempest]

1. Fournier is a Rove suck-up

Rove exchanged e-mails about Pat Tillman with Associated Press reporter Ron Fournier, under the subject line "H-E-R-O." In response to Mr. Fournier's e-mail, Mr. Rove asked, "How does our country continue to produce men and women like this," to which Mr. Fournier replied, "The Lord creates men and women like this all over the world. But only the great and free countries allow them to flourish. Keep up the fight."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/14/aps-ron-fournier-to-karl_n_112696.html

[Diane R]

2. I've noticed a very strong anti-Obama bias in the last few months. Now I know why.

[depakid]

3. People are already sick of this crap- which is one reason why circulation is declining

Papers that run these transparently biased AP stories are just inviting even more dissatisfaction with their product.