Working the Wires Mainline: AP, Reuters, Agence France Press, Xinhua, Dow Jones, Bloomberg, EFE, Jiji, Kyodo Syndicates: New York Times Tribune McClatchy Cox

How AP Wires Are Organized International National Washington Sports Features State Financial Advisory Graphics Wirephotos

Wires & the Profession Wires give unsurpassed experience at hard-news reporting under time pressure. Print editors value wire experience highly. One of the best ways to work your way overseas. Consider if you want to be mobile and move to a new bureau every three to five years!

Wire Terminology News Digest or Budget Wire services tell clients what’s coming in digests or budgets. Please see the Advisory folder on your terminals to see examples. Slug Unique name for each story. Subsequent takes and other nuledes and fixes take this slug.

Terminology 2 Takes Wire stories sometimes move in “takes” when news is breaking. Leads & Nuleads New tops to stories are called new leads. They replace the tops of articles that already have moved.

Terminology 3 Adds The 1st Add goes after the lead take; the 2nd Add goes after the first, and so on. Inserts Inserts go between two paragraphs in a story that already has moved. Subs Subs replace paragraphs in a story that already has moved.

Terminology 4 Writethru A writethru gives you the latest version of a story, but usually tells you where it picks up the older version. Graphs are often inserted, deleted or rearranged in writethrus.

Putting Stories Together Assembly Order Say you have these story elements: Cake Cake-1st Add Cake-1st Lead Cake-1st Lead, 1st Add Cake-2nd Add Cake-2nd Lead

Proper Order, Please You would assemble them in this order: Cake-2nd Lead Cake-1st Lead Cake-1st Lead, 1st Add Cake Cake-1st Add Cake-2nd Add

Rules Adds go at the bottom and are attached in ascending order. New leads go at the top and are attached in descending order. Writethrus provide the whole story again, but don’t re-edit copy that hasn’t changed. Pick up what you’ve already edited if story hasn’t changed.

More Rules Every new lead requires you to “pick up” previous material at the appropriate spot. 2 nd lede requires you to delete top of first story, pick up at appropriate spot. 3 rd lede requires you to pick up part of 2 nd lead and original bottom… and so forth. Wire editors give pick-up guidelines, but double-check—they’re sometimes wrong!

A Story Develops p0216 wbx AP-DOGBITE, BJT Man bites back when dog attacks By RUSTY TODD Associated Press Writer AUSTIN, Texas (AP)—An Austin man turned the tables Monday by biting the ear off of a dog that was attacking him. The incident occurred on the University of Texas during a noon drum circle. “First time I’ve seen that happen,” said Orvile Frump, a UT police officer. Witnesses said the man picked up the small dog, which was biting his ankles, and bit off a chunk of its ear. -ends-

It Could Happen p0216 wbx AP-DOGBITE, 1ST LD-WRITETHRU Man bites back when dog attacks Eds: Updates with name of man; INSERTS 2 graf, Leslie Cochran… By RUSTY TODD Associated Press Writer AUSTIN, Texas (AP)—An Austin man turned the tables Monday by biting the ear off of a dog that was attacking him. Leslie Cochran, 48, said the dog had infuriated him. The incident occurred on the University of Texas during a noon drum circle. “First time I’ve seen that happen,” said Orvile Frump, a UT police officer. Witnesses said the man picked up the small dog, which was biting his ankles, and bit off a chunk of its ear. -ends-

Remember Adds go at the bottom in ascending order. New leads go at the top in descending order. Don’t edit twice—pick up previously edited copy when working writethrus. Be alert for MUST KILLS, MUST SUBS, BULLETINS and NEWS ALERTS.