Associated Press 美联社

The Associated Press (AP) is one of the world's largest news agencies. The AP is an American cooperative that is owned by newspapers and broadcast stations in the United States. Those newspapers and stations both supply stories for the agency and also are free to use material written by AP writers. Other newspapers and broadcasters outside the United States subscribe to AP to use its material but they are not members or owners. Its headquarters are located in New York.

美联社是美国联合通讯社的简称，是美国历史最悠久和最大的通讯社，也是世界上最大的通讯社之一。美联社是美国多家报纸、广播电台和电视台共同拥有的合作性质的通讯社。也就是说，这些报纸、广播电台和电视台向美联社提供新闻素材，并采用美联社撰写的材料。许多美国国外的新闻机构也向美联社订购新闻。美联社总部设在纽约。

（本文选自人民教育出版社《中学英语文化背景知识手册》，2008年8月第1版）