By Karen Dunlap, Poynter President

The merger of the Newspaper Association of America Foundation with the American Press Institute and staff cuts that followed caused me to think about my time at API and about friends and colleagues who served there. I remember working into the night with a committed and innovative group of journalists in Reston. Many others around the nation and the world have similar memories.

The announcement didn’t come as a surprise since I was member of the NAAF Board that approved merger. More … Still, it was shocking to think of the end of an established force and about the future of professional development for journalists and news business leaders.

Poynter’s former faculty member and long-time friend, Mario Garcia, expressed similar concerns in his recent blog saluting API.

http://garciamedia.com/blog/articles/american_press_institute_we_miss_yo…

http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/mediawire/160800/naa-foundation-to-me…

http://www.naafoundation.org/About/News-Releases/Press-Releases/2012/Ame…

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/american-press-institute-t…

http://jimromenesko.com/2012/03/22/rip-american-press-institute/