The New York Times reports that the AP, in response to concern from editors of its member papers, is going to try to go beyond the daily violence in Iraq and also spotlight the rebuilding efforts.

“The bottom-line question was, people wanted to know if we’re making progress in Iraq,” [Tampa Tribune editorial page editor Rosemary] Goudreau said, and the A.P. articles were not helping to answer that question.
“It was uncomfortable questioning The A.P., knowing that Iraq is such a dangerous place,” she said. “But there’s a perception that we’re not telling the whole story.”
[AP managing editor Mike] Silverman said in an interview that he was aware of that perception. “Other editors said they get calls from readers who are hearing stories from returning troops of the good things they have accomplished while there, and readers find that at odds with the generally gloomy portrayal in the papers of what’s going on in Iraq,” he said. (via Romenesko)

Remember the vitriolic attacks on Mark Yost, associate editorial page editor for the St. Paul Pioneer Press when he dared to criticize Iraq war coverage? Do you think Ms. Godreau and Mr. Silverman will be the subject of similar attacks? Not so far, if Romenesko’s letters page is any indication.

Hopefully, Silverman will get more applause than criticism for this commitment to broader coverage of Iraq — now comes the harder part of following through.