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New York Times: AP Says It Wants to Know Everything About Britney Spears (1/14/08) by Brian Stelter
As corporate newsrooms suffer perpetual cutbacks and outright closures, one division's growth is highly indicative of owners' journalistic priorities:The Associated Press is bolstering its entertainment news coverage—and for many readers and viewers, Britney Spears is nothing if not entertaining. An internal memorandum from the AP’s Los Angeles bureau dictating coverage of the troubled pop star was published by several media blogs on Tuesday.... While not directly related...the AP planned to add 22 positions to expand entertainment coverage, mainly in Los Angeles, New York and London, in the coming year. Some staff members will be moved from other areas to fill the jobs.
Of course, the subtext here is that a serious outlet like the Times would never adapt its own editorial plan to reflect market values.
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