Paul Colford, a journalist and author who became The Associated Press' chief spokesperson and guided the news cooperative through sensitive media relations for a decade, died Aug. 26. He was 71.

Colford retired from the AP in 2017. His wife, Anne LaBate, said a fall the previous month accelerated a long struggle with Parkinson’s disease and led to a rapid decline. Despite his health challenges, Colford continued working in recent months on his third book, about a notorious figure from his hometown of Jersey City, New Jersey.

Colford spent decades covering the media business before moving into an institutional role handling the AP’s communications with other news organizations, the public and the press. During his decade as the AP’s director and ultimately vice president of media relations, he was responsible for responding to interview requests, explaining AP practices and representing the news cooperative during difficult episodes.

Colleagues recalled Colford’s steady presence and knowledge of the journalism landscape. "Paul was both graceful and tough and believed completely in the AP’s journalists and their mission," said Kathleen Carroll, the AP’s executive editor from 2002 to 2016. "That was important during some pretty tough moments, particularly when an AP journalist was hurt or worse. Paul was a talented and classy colleague."

Before joining the AP’s communications leadership, Colford reported on the media industry for decades, writing about the changing economics, technology and ethical challenges facing news organizations. He also authored books and pursued long-form projects, and his wife said he remained intellectually active and curious even as his health declined.

Colford’s shift from reporter to spokeswoman reflected broader changes in the media business during the late 20th and early 21st centuries, when news organizations expanded corporate communications and media relations functions. In his role at the AP, he often served as an interlocutor between the cooperative and other outlets, helping to manage access to AP journalists and clarify the service’s standards and practices.

Friends and colleagues said Colford combined a reporter’s instinct for detail with a diplomat’s skill in dealing with rival newsrooms and vexing publicity issues. After his retirement in 2017 he continued to write and research, aiming to publish further work on subjects connected to his roots in New Jersey.

Survivors include his wife, Anne LaBate. No funeral arrangements were immediately announced.