AP TO EXPAND ENTERTAINMENT COVERAGE

Observing that it just "makes good business sense," the Associated Press is hiring 21 new employees this year to beef up its entertainment news for print and television. In an internal message to employees disclosed by L.A. Weekly columnist Nikki Finke, Daniel Becker, who was given the newly created post of director of entertainment content, maintained that unlike some of its rivals' coverage, AP's own celebrity stories will not be "about gossip, unnamed sources and innuendo or about 'peephole' journalism with AP photographers becoming paparazzi." He insisted that bringing sound journalistic principles to entertainment reporting ought to be good for business, too. In a realm in which gossip and innuendo abound, particularly on the Web, our standards establish us as the trusted, authoritative voice on entertainment for all our members and customers," he said. Meanwhile, the New York Post on Thursday shut down its PageSix.com celebrity and gossip website, which it launched last December. Jennif er Jehn, the Post executive who oversaw the website said in a statement, "Given the difficulty in the economy, it was not the right time for this launch."

21/03/2008