Paul Colford appointed AP director of media relations

NEW YORK -- Paul Colford, a former media columnist at the New York Daily News and Newsday, has been named director of media relations for The Associated Press.

“Paul Colford brings to AP an exceptional level of experience and professionalism,” said Ellen Hale, vice president and director of Corporate Communications. “His depth of understanding of news and the media will play a crucial role in AP’s mission to safeguard valued news standards.”

Colford has more than 30 years of journalism experience, most recently at the Daily News, where since 2000 he was a columnist and reporter. Among his assignments were the “Hot Copy” media column and stories on publishing, broadcasting and the Internet. He also covered major property development in New York, including the World Trade Center site.

From 1980 to 2000, Colford worked for the Long Island, N.Y.-based newspaper Newsday and New York Newsday, its city-focused spinoff. He was an assistant editor before switching to the Manhattan office in 1983 as a features writer and media columnist who wrote about books, newspapers, magazines, the radio industry and New York’s Internet business scene.

Colford’s journalism career began in 1975 at WADB-FM Radio in South Belmar, N.J., where he was a reporter and newscaster. His newspaper experience also included reporting for the New Jersey Weekly and Sunday Real Estate sections of The New York Times, as well as a 1978-1980 stint as night editor at the Courier-News in Bridgewater, N.J. He’s a graduate of St. Peter’s College, in Jersey City, N.J., with a bachelor of arts degree.

In 1993, Colford wrote an unauthorized biography entitled “The Rush Limbaugh Story” and in 1996 he authored “Howard Stern: King of All Media.”

Colford’s first experience in corporate communications was as manager of communications at Newark Academy in Livingston, N.J., where he led public relations at the private secondary school from 1976 to 1978.

As director of media relations at the AP, Colford is responsible for developing and implementing AP’s external communications policies and plans, and providing strategic leadership in directing the company’s relations with the media and public.

Reporting to Colford is Jack Stokes, manager of media relations, who handles day-to-day routine media calls.