LINCOLN, NEB. ? The Associated Press is working to better serve its members by getting the news out faster, providing exclusive stories and allowing members to customize content, President and Chief Executive Officer Tom Curley said Saturday.

Speaking at the annual meeting of the Nebraska Press Assn., Curley also said the AP wanted to help its members reach consumers who were increasingly demanding immediate news on their personal electronic devices, such as Palm Pilots and cell phones.

“We want to be the link to the World Wide Web for you,” Curley said.

As part of the effort to get news to its members faster, the AP has added an Asia desk and this summer will open a supervisory desk for Europe and Africa, Curley said.

The AP also will allow its member media organizations, including newspapers, broadcast outlets and Web sites, to customize the news for special interests.

“The one-size-fits-all, which has been the AP approach, probably won’t stay competitive forever,” Curley said.

The Associated Press is the world’s largest news-gathering organization.