Leveraging AP Metadata

English-language news content delivered by AP Media API is accurately analyzed and tagged with regularly updated AP metadata that includes standardized subjects (words and phrases representing concepts discussed in the news), geographic locations, people, organizations and publicly traded companies.

Each tag applied by the AP Classification system or by AP editors includes a relevance score that can be used to filter tags or sort stories in your systems. Only the most salient and relevant tags are returned to make it easier for you to discover AP content and to use it in your own production systems.

Sorting Stories Based on Relevance Scores

AP Classification Metadata relevance scores allow you to determine what a story is primarily about. Using these scores, you can also programmatically sort stories to specific folders or sections of your website, based on editorially applied primary and secondary subject categories.

• Higher relevance scores indicate the most relevant terms. The maximum relevance score is 99. Relevance scores are available for both machine-created subjects and editorially applied subjects.

• Relevance score of 99 for an editorially applied subject indicates that it has been editorially selected as the primary subject for the story.

• Relevance score of 75 for an editorially applied subject indicates that it has been editorially selected as a secondary subject for the story.

Solutions for Common Challenges

Having trouble finding all content using full-text search?

You can identify the subject matter of content more precisely using AP metadata tags instead of a full-text search. The same concept can be expressed in a variety of ways using synonyms, acronyms and even metaphors in journalistic writing. The rules applying descriptive metadata to content account for this multifaceted use of natural language and also ensure that the search terms appear in the right context.

For example, bird flu is often referred to as avian flu or H5N1. The AP metadata tag Bird flu will identify content with either of the two other terms. It will also ensure that a significant portion of the news piece is actually about the topic and not just mentioned in passing.

AP also provides broader terms such as Flu, Infectious diseases and Health on the same content tagged with Bird flu. Therefore, indexing all of the AP metadata would mean that a search for Infectious diseases would find content about bird flu, even if the text did not contain the exact phrase Infectious diseases.

In addition, AP applies descriptive metadata tags to text stories, pictures, graphics, audio and video, so that your search will work across all media types and content sources.

Contextual ads not always relevant to the topics of your online content?

Pass along AP descriptive metadata to your ad placement agency to help them better match their ads to news content. For example, if they serve car ads, it will help them to know that stories tagged with the subject Automobiles are a better target than content tagged with Car accidents.

Similarly, fashion ads could be targeted at content tagged with Fashion, Shopping or Luxury goods retail, but should exclude content also tagged with Labor issues, Labor negotiations, Occupational injuries and disabilities, Occupational accidents or Industrial accidents.

Aggregating content from multiple content providers?

AP descriptive metadata can help you better organize content from disparate sources, whether your own, from AP or from third-parties.

One way is to tag all your content using AP Metadata Services and use AP's taxonomy for content integration. Alternatively, if you already have a preferred way of organizing content, you may align AP tags with the terms used in your content management systems.

Mapping metadata between two organizations is not always straightforward. Every organization has its own unique content slicing and packaging methods, and the scope of subjects and other metadata terms may differ significantly even when they have similar names. For example, the terms Technology or Health in AP subject metadata will not be applied to all content about health or technology industries because AP determined that Business and industry-specific terms are more appropriate for that content.

Common Use Cases and Examples

Track breaking news event coverage

AP creates terms for particular news events; for example, Hurricane Maria:

{// Example: 'Hurricane Maria' tag 
"subject": [{
  "creator": "Machine",
  "code": "754820f3d29e4bd987a78a88776e3b98",
  "scheme": "https://cv.ap.org/id/",
  "topparent": true,
  "name": "Hurricane Maria",
  "rels": ["direct"]}]}

In a breaking news situation, even before a specific term is available from the AP, you can identify relevant content using a combination of subject and geography metadata. For example, news stories, pictures and video about Hurricanes in Puerto Rico have both of these tags:

{// Example: 'Hurricanes' AP Subject tag and 'Puerto Rico' AP Geography tag 
"subject": [{
  "creator": "Machine",
  "code": "6c6377e8882f10048fab8bb2970c7204",
  "scheme": "https://cv.ap.org/id/",
  "name": "Hurricanes",
  "parentids": ["dc90ffa0686948409257760cc35e98eb"],
  "rels": ["direct"]}],
"place": [{
  "creator": "Machine",
  "code": "661a77a87d5b1004822ac076b8e3055c",
  "scheme": "https://cv.ap.org/id/",
  "name": "Puerto Rico",
  "parentids": ["6618c9f87d5b10048203c076b8e3055c"],
  "locationtype": {
    "code": "b7a0766613394ffda1709e3e433f2de2",
    "name": "Territory"},
  "geometry_geojson": {
    "coordinates": [-66.49989, 18.24829],
    "type": "Point"},
  "rels": ["direct"]}]}

Commemorate historic event anniversaries

You can identify content relevant to many historic events using AP tags for major anniversaries and commemorations; for example:

{// Example: 'Assassination of John F. Kennedy' tag 
"subject": [{
  "creator": "Machine",
  "code": "4b50387ff5ea496f9a240347c07ef9c6",
  "scheme": "https://cv.ap.org/id/",
  "topparent": true,
  "name": "Assassination of John F. Kennedy",
  "rels": ["direct"]}]}

{// Example: 'Fall of the Berlin Wall' tag 
"subject": [{
  "creator": "Machine",
  "code": "8ef7588539984680ae4e034cfdb34e76",
  "scheme": "https://cv.ap.org/id/",
  "topparent": true,
  "name": "Fall of the Berlin Wall",
  "rels": ["direct"]}]}

{// Example: 'Rwandan Genocide' tag 
"subject": [{
  "creator": "Machine",
  "code": "8448b7cfa4a143f8a6d022140517e37b",
  "scheme": "https://cv.ap.org/id/",
  "topparent": true,
  "name": "Rwandan Genocide",
  "rels": ["direct"]}]}

Automatically populate photo galleries

You can use AP metadata to power your photo galleries by identifying images with topical subjects; for example:

{// Example: 'Royal weddings' AP Subject tag 
"subject": [{
  "creator": "Machine",
  "code": "31338a343db34b79b6b1823fb6deef96",
  "scheme": "https://cv.ap.org/id/",
  "name": "Royal weddings",
  "parentids": ["90aeac5089ef10048f63d56c852d093e"],
  "rels": ["direct"]}]}

{// Example: 'Celebrity' AP Subject tag 
"subject": [{
  "creator": "Machine",
  "code": "b4ed19d87e5c10048565df092526b43e",
  "scheme": "https://cv.ap.org/id/",
  "name": "Celebrity",
  "parentids": ["5b4319707dd310048b23df092526b43e"],
  "rels": ["direct"]}]}

{// Example: 'Natural disasters' AP Subject tag 
"subject": [{
  "creator": "Machine",
  "code": "7448dd4882a0100481dddf092526b43e",
  "scheme": "https://cv.ap.org/id/",
  "name": "Natural disasters",
  "parentids": ["31711ec0894b10048983ba0a2b2ca13e"],
  "rels": ["direct"]}]}

Target your readership's local and global interests

Favorite college teams

You can supplement your main sports page with dedicated pages for your readerships' most popular teams using AP's organization metadata to precisely target news stories, pictures and video relevant to each team:

{// Example: 'Alabama Crimson Tide football' AP Organization tag 
"organisation": [{
  "creator": "Machine",
  "code": "0364869bdfd747a69336b57de64c0754",
  "scheme": "https://cv.ap.org/id/",
  "topparent": true,
  "name": "Alabama Crimson Tide football",
  "rels": ["direct"]}]}

{// Example: 'Auburn Tigers football' AP Organization tag 
"organisation": [{
  "creator": "Machine",
  "code": "859439a33e3147c492c07b1caff2097c",
  "scheme": "https://cv.ap.org/id/",
  "topparent": true,
  "name": "Auburn Tigers football",
  "rels": ["direct"]}]}

{// Example: 'Florida State Seminoles football' AP Organization tag 
"organisation": [{
  "creator": "Machine",
  "code": "7eb7be1395ea46deb169e569abd9e257",
  "scheme": "https://cv.ap.org/id/",
  "topparent": true,
  "name": "Florida State Seminoles football",
  "rels": ["direct"]}]}

Homegrown celebrities and athletes

You can build a web page for your hometown celebrity or athlete using their AP Person metadata to populate it dynamically with news about their lives and careers.

For example, The Daily Mail of Charleston created a page for their hometown celebrity Jennifer Garner and populated it with her latest movie premiers, red carpet events, personal life stories, pictures and video using the AP Person term for the actress.

{// Example: 'Jennifer Garner' AP Person tag 
"person": [{
  "types": ["MOVIE_ACTOR", "ENTERTAINMENT_FIGURE", "PERSON"],
  "creator": "Machine",
  "code": "560033a8836910048b9cdf092526b43e",
  "scheme": "https://cv.ap.org/id/",
  "name": "Jennifer Garner",
  "rels": ["direct"]}]}

Similarly, another newspaper built a niche website about LeBron James using AP Person metadata. At the time, he played for the Cleveland Cavaliers. When he transferred to the Miami Heat, and later returned to Cleveland Cavaliers, his AP Person term kept the same ID and was updated with the new team affiliation each time he changed the team.

{// Example: 'LeBron James' AP Person tag 
"person": [{
  "types": ["PROFESSIONAL_ATHLETE", "SPORTS_FIGURE", "PERSON"],
  "creator": "Machine",
  "code": "7c05129d1a1741af8bcc326c9459545c",
  "teams": [{
    "code": "14b13feccdca40d6b6774feff543e566",
    "name": "Cleveland Cavaliers"}],
  "scheme": "https://cv.ap.org/id/",
  "name": "LeBron James",
  "rels": ["direct"]}]}

Political news - local, state, national and international

AP applies government organization terms to political news at state, national and international levels. For example, news about the government of California has the following metadata:

{// Example: 'California state government' AP organization tag 
"organisation": [{
  "creator": "Machine",
  "code": "496ed67ad179489a888a5b0900cf1c59",
  "scheme": "https://cv.ap.org/id/",
  "topparent": true,
  "name": "California state government",
  "rels": ["direct"]}]}

News about the elections of mayors in Newark, New Jersey is identified by these subject and geography tags:

{// Example: 'Mayoral elections' AP Subject tag and 'Newark' AP Geography tag 
"subject": [{
  "creator": "Machine",
  "code": "9e98d1e0886b1004810dcb8225d5863e",
  "scheme": "https://cv.ap.org/id/",
  "name": "Mayoral elections",
  "parentids": ["a4b107f0886b10048117cb8225d5863e"],
  "rels": ["direct"]}],
"place": [{
  "creator": "Machine",
  "code": "b42ffa012d7e4ecfb8f47881d9801a3a",
  "scheme": "https://cv.ap.org/id/",
  "name": "Newark",
  "parentids": ["dcb000c082c610048843df092526b43e"],
  "locationtype": {
    "code": "9d26a20b35f0484a891740f8189d4c7b",
    "name": "City"},
  "geometry_geojson": {
    "coordinates": [-82.40126, 40.05812],
    "type": "Point"},
  "rels": ["direct"]}]}

Company and industry news

If your readers are interested in particular companies or industries, you can identify relevant content using company and subject metadata.

For example, news specific to General Motors has this company metadata:

{// Example: 'General Motors Co' AP organization tag 
"organisation": [{
  "creator": "Machine",
  "code": "f90a666c12444142bd2288549acd7ebe",
  "scheme": "https://cv.ap.org/id/",
  "industries": [
    {"code": "a4b7599c3fe8e84e9a6ad1fd9a88f376",
     "name": "Automobile manufacturing"},
    {"code": "539d69088bf910048ff8a13d9888b73e",
     "name": "Consumer product manufacturing"},
    {"code": "31f4c0688adb10048f839a38be1dd83e",
     "name": "Consumer products and services"}],
  "name": "General Motors Co",
  "symbols": [
    {"ticker": "GM",
     "instrument": "NYS:GM",
     "exchange": "NYS"}],
  "rels": ["direct"]}]}

Content about all car manufacturers has the following subject tag:

{// Example: 'Automobile manufacturing' AP Subject tag 
"subject": [{
  "creator": "Machine",
  "code": "a4b7599c3fe8e84e9a6ad1fd9a88f376",
  "scheme": "https://cv.ap.org/id/",
  "name": "Automobile manufacturing",
  "parentids": ["539d69088bf910048ff8a13d9888b73e"],
  "rels": ["direct"]}]}

News about mergers and acquisitions in the food manufacturing industry carries both of these tags:

{// Example: 'Ownership changes' and 'Food manufacturing' AP Subject tags 
"subject": [
 {"creator": "Machine",
  "code": "52352e8888e910048f1df8851349f9bd",
  "scheme": "https://cv.ap.org/id/",
  "name": "Ownership changes",
  "parentids": ["4d3302d8857510048d06ff2260dd383e"],
  "rels": ["direct"]},
 {"creator": "Machine",
  "code": "79c6e3e08a7df746be78e1c031d37251",
  "scheme": "https://cv.ap.org/id/",
  "name": "Food manufacturing",
  "parentids": ["9be3fbc88c9910048acdf7ae5e3ffd3e"],
  "rels": ["direct"]}]}

Content about all kinds of small businesses can be identified by the following subject metadata:

{// Example: 'Small business' AP Subject tag 
"subject": [{
  "creator": "Machine",
  "code": "5d20cdfccdf84298ad2872218742c414",
  "scheme": "https://cv.ap.org/id/",
  "name": "Small business",
  "parentids": ["c8e409f8858510048872ff2260dd383e"],
  "rels": ["direct"]}]}

Latest in technology

Content about software, gadget reviews and trends (for example, digital cameras, e-book readers, tablets, personal computers, mobile phones and televisions) has the following subject tags:

{// Example: 'Consumer electronics' and 'Computing and information technology' AP Subject tags 
"subject": [
 {"creator": "Machine",
  "code": "c946c3908b6b10048d99a385cd5ce603",
  "scheme": "https://cv.ap.org/id/",
  "name": "Consumer electronics",
  "parentids": ["455ef2b87df7100483d8df092526b43e"],
  "rels": ["direct"]},
 {"creator": "Machine",
  "code": "29dfdd288b6b10048ff4bd945080b03e",
  "scheme": "https://cv.ap.org/id/",
  "name": "Computing and information technology",
  "parentids": ["455ef2b87df7100483d8df092526b43e"],
  "rels": ["direct"]}]}

Lifestyle trends

You can also use AP Subject metadata to identify lifestyle content; for example:

{// Example: 'Weddings' AP Subject tag 
"subject": [{
  "creator": "Machine",
  "code": "b0b014588986100486bcbc885dbc3010",
  "scheme": "https://cv.ap.org/id/",
  "name": "Weddings",
  "parentids": ["e02cec40898310048337bc885dbc3010"],
  "rels": ["direct"]}]}

{// Example: 'Food and drink' AP Subject tag 
"subject": [{
  "creator": "Machine",
  "code": "002189a084fe1004882b91f43387513e",
  "scheme": "https://cv.ap.org/id/",
  "name": "Food and drink",
  "parentids": ["3e37e4b87df7100483d5df092526b43e"],
  "rels": ["direct"]}]}

{// Example: 'Holiday shopping' AP Subject tag 
"subject": [{
  "creator": "Machine",
  "code": "d391afa88987100488d3bc885dbc3010",
  "scheme": "https://cv.ap.org/id/",
  "name": "Holiday shopping",
  "parentids": ["3142d808898710048785bc885dbc3010", "b0afc6388986100486bbbc885dbc3010"],
  "rels": ["direct"]}]}

Other Helpful Metadata

In addition to descriptive metadata, AP provides terms that can help you refine the sets of content you receive from the AP.

Here we focus on Item Content Type ("profile" in JSON) and Audience. Please contact your AP Sales Representative to inquire about other ways to filter content.

Item Content Type (Profile)

Item Content Type values (see complete list) help identify the form of the news item and whether or how to display the content. For example, the value of "Advisory" distinguishes advisories from content that may be published to consumers, and the value of "Agate" indicates that the article is intended to be set in agate type and may contain one or more tabular lines.

Depending on your needs, you may want to include or exclude certain content types; for example, "Lottery Results", "HeadlinePackage", "NewsBrief".

{// Example: 'Lottery results' Content Type 
"profile": "Lottery Results"}

{// Example: 'Advisory' Content Type 
"profile": "Advisory"}

{// Example: 'Agate' Content Type 
"profile": "Agate"}

Audience

Some AP stories are written for a specific audience: international, national or a particular state. AP's audience metadata is designed to represent this editorial choice.

News of national interest is indicated by the following metadata:

{// Example: 'National' audience tag 
"audiences": [{
  "code": "f43adc08760d10048040e6e7a0f4673e",
  "name": "National",
  "type": "AUDSCOPE"}]}

These metadata tags show that this is a state story and for which state or states it is intended.

{// Example: 'State', 'Missouri' and 'Kansas' audience tags
"audiences": [
 {"code": "f5b16ea8760d10048047e6e7a0f4673e",
  "name": "State",
  "type": "AUDSCOPE"},
 {"code": "bd8c35d082c4100486d5df092526b43e",
  "name": "Missouri",
  "type": "AUDGEOGRAPHY"},
 {"code": "1e8c5a7082b310048450df092526b43e",
  "name": "Kansas",
  "type": "AUDGEOGRAPHY"}]}