AP names Sloan deputy Washington bureau chief

The Associated Press has appointed U.S. political editor Steven Sloan to the post of deputy Washington bureau chief for U.S. politics and elections.

In his new role, Sloan will be leading a broader effort on the AP’s part to expand its approach to politics, democracy and elections coverage in the U.S. An AP announcement reads:

With Steven at the helm, AP will produce a single, cohesive and expansive U.S. political and elections news report that unifies our journalism produced in Washington with reporting from bureaus nationwide.

Crucially, this team will connect its reporting to people across the country, particularly to historically marginalized communities who face new hurdles to the American right to vote – and have their votes be counted.

This is a new approach for AP, but one that amplifies our longstanding commitment to fact-based reporting on elections, politics and public opinion.

Steven will also lead an expanded team of political reporters based across the country, building on one of AP’s core strengths and advantages — our nationwide footprint.

In his new role, Steven also will work even more closely with the AP’s stellar Decision Desk and public opinion research teams, led by Director of Public Opinion Research Emily Swanson, coordinating and directing our coverage of elections.

And, of course, Steven and this expanded team will continue to partner with the fantastic journalists in the Washington bureau.