Associated Press publishes paid content, not journalism
Press releases published on the Associated Press news website are paid content, clearly labeled by AP's editorial staff. They do not constitute AP journalism.
The Associated Press (AP) offers a publishing platform for press releases on its website, apnews.com, but these releases are distinctly marked as paid content and do not represent AP's own editorial work.
These "paid content" pages are generated through AP's distribution partners and are located on separate sub-pages, typically starting with apnews.com/press-release/. They carry clear disclaimers, such as "PRESS RELEASE: Paid Content from [partner]. The AP news staff was not involved in its creation.", indicating that the content originated from a paid channel and was not produced by AP journalists.
Furthermore, AP News settings often apply "noindex, nofollow" tags to these release pages. This instructs search engines not to list these pages in search results or follow links within them, meaning they offer no direct search engine optimization or link-building benefits.
The value of these placements lies primarily in credibility and findability. Companies can direct investors, partners, and other journalists to this verified page on AP's platform. Distribution to AP's press release section is managed through various partners, including Business Wire, GlobeNewswire, and PR Newswire, as well as services like RedPress that facilitate placements via AP partners.