John Hanna and Nick Ingram made sure AP was the first national media outlet on the ground in all formats after police raided a small, weekly newspaper in Kansas.
After learning about the raid, Topeka-based Hanna knew immediately he had to head there. He was the first national writer on the ground in Marion, where Kansas City video journalist Ingram soon joined him.
The story had many layers, and AP’s coverage was out front on each of them, from whether the raid was illegal to vivid color images from the newspaper’s putting out its Wednesday edition.
Multiple staffers jumped in to help with records requests, making calls, researching the police chief and more. Margery Beck, Heather Hollingsworth and Jim Salter helped with reporting and writing every step of the way. Mark Vancleave helped pull together some of Hanna’s iPhone video and surveillance video of the newspaper raid for a quick customer-ready edit. And Dave Bauder and Jim Salter teamed up to write an explainer about why a raid on a newspaper was so unusual and outrageous for press supporters.