Associated Press President and CEO Thomas Curley on Friday called on news providers to find breakthroughs to common challenges and become "game-changers."

Curley made the remarks at the World Media Summit, which was jointly launched by Xinhua News Agency, AP and seven other world media organizations.

All news organizations face the same mission -- get all the way across the burning bridge from analog to digital journalism and to make the difficult choices that this crossing presents, Curley said.

He presented the "game-changer" concept in his speech, rather than "offer one more speech on the pitfalls and potential of the Internet."

To give an example, he said an arc was introduced onto the basketball court in 1986, which immediately changed the game as teams were rewarded with three points for successes behind the new line.

Changes in culture, economy and technology in the digital age are so radical and pervasive that after nearly 15 years of doing business on the Internet, news organizations are still testing long-held assumptions about what "the other side of the digital bridge actually looks like."

"It (the basketball metaphor) suggests the value of avoiding the trap of looking for something big enough to change the big picture. In fact, the small changes drive real innovation," Curley said.

He also called on providers to understand the changing game of distribution and make a mark to support the future of news-gathering that serves the public interest.

About 300 representatives from more than 170 media outlets from around the globe gathered in Beijing Friday to discuss the seismic shifts and challenges in the industry at the World Media Summit.

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