We all read the papers, we all watch the news. But to have an invite to watch a real editorial team choose the news was an opportunity not to be missed.
The boardroom has never been busier and there was a sense of real excitement at the anticipation of being a fly on the wall. It was almost like being on set. The eagerness and even a few nerves were apparent with Trinity Mirror’s Lloyd Embley and his senior editorial team. They’ve never been so on show before, so this was a real first!
As soon as Lloyd started going round the table asking each for the stories from their field, the atmosphere was electric and jokes were being made. It really felt like a show. But soon they settled into the session, into the routine they were used to and began to forget we were there. That’s when it became fascinating to see the articles come to life. It was also a real insight to realise the emotional roller-coaster they went through during this period. They had to move from one upsetting video of vehicles been blow up, loss of life and the threat our troops live in, to choosing which pictures of Kiera Knightly from her Vanity Fair shoot would make the pages. All needed, all relevant to the paper. Each journalist pitching their stories to get them into next edition. But what’s new is seeing how the public now have a say in what goes into each publication. The social team keeping an eye on what the UK was reading, what’s trending, and what’s being shared. Along with important news issues, you can’t predict what will catch the attention of the general public.
The session over ran but for once there were no complaints or people shuffling around waiting for a break. The audience could have happily watched it for longer and, if we had more time, I know there were plenty more questions lined up for the team.
General consensus is we can’t wait for them to do it again! A genuinely fascinating process. And what a thrill to see the stories they had been pitching in the paper the very next day.