The latest evening newspaper in Britain
In and amidst the final stages of our restructure and my own personal angst this week, I was a proud editor of the Birmingham Mail becoming the latest evening newspaper in Britain.
With the Conservative Party Conference held in the city on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, we went to press in what seemed to many old-timers to be a long-lost 1970s practice of 5pm. Stop-press? We were even later than that.
Yep. Our '5pm Conference Edition' went on sale just before dusk to delegates in and around the city's International Convention Centre and in other areas of the town.
The latest pm speeches, news from fringe meetings and the final peeks into the reactions of the day made the up-to-the-minute paper a must-buy for thousands of politicos in the city.
Latest headlines included the first, full print report of Tory leader David Cameron's keynote speech on Wednesday afternoon just a couple of hours after it was uttered, as well as his emergency conference intervention to speak about the US credit-crunch debacle earlier in the week.
Now this sort of practice is not necessarily popular in our industry - (and certainly wouldn't have been a year ago when 'overnight' editions were all the rage... sshh!).
But we're not Luddites. As well as print, we also joined forces with colleagues at The Birmingham Post to create constant video streams, live blogging and instant pictures via flickr, (I know, I know...).
That's the future, I'm sure, (although it must be said that it was the latest print editions that recouped 40 pence a time for all the effort involved, plus all the FREE TV footage on evening bulletins of delegates leaving the ICC carrying OUR brand.)
Strange days. Strange days indeed. But we're (getting) ready for it. In print and online. That's the mantra. Surely?
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Steve Dyson
Blog from the Editor on recent issues and events.
It seems like TM chuief exec Sly Bailey (who earns £1.7 million a year) has lost confidence in the digital 'bubble:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/oct/01/slybailey.trinitymirror
Will she transfer her allegiance to 'rebranding' for the new print age I wonder???
Steve,
As a regular visitor to this site and indeed your blog, I feel compelled to add a comment for I can only marvel at the closing statement to this blog entry.
I respectively quote:
"But we're (getting) ready for it. In print and online. That's the mantra. Surely?"
Quite right and I agree completely with your best intentions to report and break local news and issues across traditional and new media formats.
However, it is now Sunday night.
Not only have Villa scrapped to a hard earned point against an equally matched Portsmouth side, the unsavoury behaviour of a minority of the home support is the talk of football.
The second city's football club fought hard for a point after going a goal down to remain in contention at the top of the Championship.
Another local club, Wolves, go top after coming back from an early goal to win 2-1.
Walsall lose 3-2 after being two goals up after fifth teen minutes.
Big match reaction? Quotes from management and players? Interaction from fans?
"But we're (getting) ready for it. In print and online. That's the mantra. Surely?"
You’re right, and until you are ready for it, thank God for the BBC.
Hi Anon!
Yep, we're getting ready for it...
You're not to blame as you wouldn't know, but we're in the midst of a project changing everyone's jobs here in the Midlands.
This means a fair amount of disjointedness as we speak, with training, tweaks to the emerging sturcture, etc.
The new way of working formally kicks off on Nov 19... and within weeks of that you will notice an improvement.
Keep watching.
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