AP's latest moves

There was a time when AP was one of the prototypical short command chain, maximum flexibility organizations. As a news editor, I reported to a bureau chief (and indirectly to the managing editor) who reported to the president in New York.

The latest memo announcing Howard Michael Oreskes' hiring as managing editor for U.S. news, however, just continues the layering of administration that seems to be a hallmark of the current administration. And it may be needed in this new-media world, where the emphasis is on content verticals and monetizing those.

Oreskes will oversee the work of AP’s bureaus in the 50 states, which will be reporting up to him through four regional operations being created in 2008 and 2009. He’ll also supervise the work of the Washington bureau, the news service's largest domestic bureau, and AP's national feature, beat and investigative reporters.

Oreskes will be one of four managing editors, joining John Daniszewski, in charge of international coverage; Kristin Gazlay, in charge of business news and training, and Lou Ferrara, in charge of sports, entertainment and a merged multimedia and graphics department.

True story: A news source called me the other day after having spoken to a news editor at an A bureau. The source was concerned, saying the news editor told him: "Right now, I don't know who I report to."

I guess you can spell bureaucracy with "AP."