American Press Institute

The institute, founded in 1946, initially was at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism before moving in 1974 to Reston, Virginia. It has been described by The Washington Post as the nation's "most venerable press-management and training organization." The institute's discussion leaders have included former Washington Post Executive Editor Ben Bradlee, former New York City mayor David Dinkins, Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham, and Pulitzer Prize-winner and former Poynter Institute chairman Eugene Patterson.

However, API's fortunes declined in parallel with those of American newspapers, which were once one of the most profitable businesses in the nation. The institute in early 2012 merged with the NAA Foundation of the Newspaper Association of America and shuttered its landmark headquarters. Starting in 2013, API's leadership led its transformation from a training institution to an "applied think tank," producing research, programs, events and tools that facilitate learning in the news industry mostly outside a traditional training model.

The center's director and CEO is Michael D. Bolden, a former managing editor at The San Francisco Chronicle and former managing director of the John S. Knight Journalism Fellowships at Stanford. Previously the institute was led by executive director Tom Rosentiel.

In 2023, the API launched a pilot program for the American Press Institute Inclusion Index across five newsrooms in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The program seeks to improve the relationships between newsrooms and the diverse communities they cover.