The Morning Wire team is off today in observance of the Labor Day holiday in the United States, instead tune in for a special newsletter from AP’s donations team. Be sure you are signed up for AP News Alerts so you don't miss any major breaking news.
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Happy Labor Day, Morning Wire subscribers.
As we honor the workers who keep our world moving today, I want to take a moment to highlight a few of our extraordinary colleagues here at The Associated Press. One of the greatest privileges that comes with being on the team at AP is getting to work alongside some of the most talented reporters, photographers, editors and staffers in journalism.
For an AP journalist, an average workday could look like wading through floodwater to speak to victims of extreme weather, covering politics up close from inside the White House or filing stories from an active war zone. To celebrate this Labor Day, I’ve asked a few of our colleagues to tell us more about what a day in their life as a journalist looks like.
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Giovanna Dell'Orto
Global Religion reporter
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Giovanna Dell'Orto
Global Religion reporter
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It’s not so typical to spend a night locked inside Jerusalem’s holiest church – but it’s all in a day’s work for me as I report on religion, faith and spirituality for The Associated Press. It is often heartwarming, sometimes heartbreaking work that’s taken me across the world. I got to help colleagues across the Middle East with breaking news during the Iran war. I was at the Vatican watching the white smoke that signaled the election of the first American pope. And I was in the streets of Minneapolis, my homebase, covering the ICE protests for long weeks.
But whether it’s waiting for a press conference inside a federal building at 4 a.m. on a double-digits-below-zero morning, or hiking for days through sand dunes with Spanish pilgrims, or harvesting the fruit of saguaro cacti with members of the Tohono O’odham Nation in southern Arizona, I know there are always two things that make me feel most grateful for this mission.
First, it’s the people who share their life stories, their emotions and their convictions with me – and thus with you, our global audience. And second, I have my fantastic AP colleagues, from editors to the photographers and video journalists in the field. Whether sharing a sun-melted Snickers bar in the highlands of Guatemala or holding back tears at a soldier’s funeral, it’s as a team that we bring the world’s stories to light.
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Alex Brandon
Chief White House Photographer
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Alex Brandon
Chief White House Photographer
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Covering the president for AP is one of the most important assignments, and I am reminded of that responsibility every time I walk into the White House. In our day-to-day work, there is a huge diversity. Sometimes we are in the Oval Office watching him sign an executive order or meet with heads of state. Sometimes we travel with him in the motorcade and fly with him on Air Force One. Sometimes we are loaded into Ospreys and flown to where he is speaking.
We are the independent voice that covers the movements and actions of the administration and that means being present at every meeting and every venue where the president appears. You never know what detail of the day can become historically important, and my experience helps me spot a subtle change.
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Obed Lamy
Video journalist
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Obed Lamy
Video journalist
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No two days are exactly alike. One day, I might find myself boots-deep in floodwater, filming families leaving their devastated homes with a few belongings loaded into kayaks. I then sit on a wet couch in a flooded home to quickly edit the video and send interview quotes to my colleagues working on the text story. Another day, I might drive a hundred miles to a small town to interview a man who earned a Guinness World Record for growing the world’s tallest sunflower in his backyard.
Being a video journalist means always being ready—keeping my camera batteries fully charged—to jump into any news situation. Because I know that millions of people rely on our accurate reporting from the ground to understand what’s happening in the world around them.
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AP’s independent journalism is critical — and readers like you help make it possible. If you’d like to show your support this Labor Day for the work that journalists like Obed, Alex and Giovanna produce tirelessly every day, please consider joining us as a donor.
Thank you for being with us each morning as we bring you the stories that matter most. We are so grateful to have you as a loyal AP reader and for your shared commitment to free, independent journalism.
With gratitude,
Paige Butler
AP Donations Team
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