Why the AP uses software to write earnings stories

Abigail Edge of Journalism.co.uk writes about how the Associated Press is using software to write company earnings stories.

Edge writes, “However, since the outlet began using automation to produce earnings reports, the volume of stories has leaped to 3,700 per quarter, according to Lou Ferrara, vice president and managing editor at AP.

“Speaking at the World New Media Congress in Washington DC, Ferrara said that using automation has freed up staff time at AP by around 20 per cent.

“‘This is really a change to get out of existing for earnings reports, and instead having earnings reports but also focusing on news desk, on social, UGC, what’s going viral, all this stuff we know… is essential,’ said Ferrara.

“The issue with earnings reports, he explained, was that they were not only time-consuming to produce but the work was also not well-liked by AP journalists, with one reporter likening it to ‘jabbing your eyes out on a daily basis.’

“In addition, journalists were doing all their own manual calculations to produce the reports, which Ferrara said had ‘potential for error.'”

Read more here.