The Associated Press will use a wide array of digital tools to display its reporting across all platforms at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. AP’s Live Desk will offer a continuous flow of short-form colour, updates and observations from the streets and Olympic venues in London. These brief Eyes on London reports will work in tandem with AP text stories and allow customers who check in regularly – especially on mobile devices – to see what’s happening at a glance. Eyes on London will be distributed on all major AP services several times an hour. AP’s news app, AP Mobile, has expanded its offerings to provide a complete Summer Games section, including medal counts, athlete profiles, results, stories, photos and video. You can download the app at getapmobile.com. AP will capture Olympic news for the first time in high-definition video, now delivered to AP broadcast customers following a phased rollout begun eight months ago. AP has made an investment of $30 million over the past three years to convert all of its video ingestion, production and playout to HD. In addition, AP will have its most robust social-media monitoring programme to date, a 24/7 comprehensive operation engaged with news and user-generated content as it develops. AP will be harnessing Google Hangouts to provide video conversations with some of its staff from the games. “As the media landscape has rapidly changed over the years, we have innovated to ensure that we bring customers and consumers what they want during the Olympics,” said Lou Ferrara, the AP’s managing editor for sports. “Our staff is excited to cover these historic games – they will be some of the most watched and consumed ever. We are ready to provide what the world wants.” AP will staff the games with 91 text reporters and editors, 85 photographers and photo editors, 18 video journalists and three radio reporters, plus 21 technology staffers responsible for ensuring all of AP’s content reaches its customers. In addition, many staffers at AP’s London hub and New York headquarters will handle much of the material for digital and other distribution. Global Media Services, AP’s video production arm, will operate two facilities for the games, offering international broadcasters views of the center of London and the Olympic stadium. GraphicsBank, AP’s videographic service, will expand the number of animations and 3D and static graphics before and during the games. And for the first time during an Olympics, they will be in HD. www.ap.org
