Responding to Michael Jackson's death
The first hint that something massive was about to happen came with the breaking line during BBC1's 10 o'clock news that Michael Jackson had been rushed to hospital in LA.
Then, at 10.53pm, Paul Cole, the executive editor on the Sunday Mercury, texted the chilling 'Michael Jackson dead!'.
Who to tell first? Quick check texts to fellow editors Marc Reeves, Birmingham Post, and Dave Brookes, Coventry Telegraph, whose papers go to bed at around midnight. Both knew and were onto it for their page ones.
Internet. Quick text to online editor David Higgerson, with birminghammail.net uploads the quick result, along with the rest of Trinity Mirror sites.
Now, the paper. Our first deadline is not until 9.15am, so there's time to talk it through and cascade a plan of action. 'Shall we go in now' was a text at midnight. 'No - sleep. Start early and refreshed.'
And the team were in much earlier than me. By the time I'd held an early 6.45am conference they'd already replaced certain overnight pages, made room on pages 6 to 10 for the local and national diet of news, leaving pages one to five wide open for Michael Jackson.
Yes, it's a national story, and yes, it's now everywhere. But this is a moment to fill the boots of the first print media with the full story and pictures (the nationals first editions missed it, the later updates only carrying a quick changed front and obit).
Decision one. Poster front. Marcus Queenbrough on pictures and Stacey Barnfield, the Birmingham Mail's executive editor, select the pic and go for simplicity. Here's an early version.
This means moving the page one ad. 7.15am calls to the ad director, and it's now on the back page... sorry Ken (Montgomery, head of sport).
Themes for 2&3: The story. The gatherings. The local tributes. Plans for midday gatherings of mourners. For 4&5: The obit. The life. The times. The colour. The tributes from stars across the world.
Whittock sends a respectful cartoon. Too much for the front end. Clear space for it on letters deeper in. The editorial: talk through the theme and thoughts with scribe Graham Young.
Central TV call. Can they film it coming off the presses at 11.45am for their news programme? Yes. Arranged.
As I tap, the final first edition pieces are being put through, so I must leave the screen and start proofing.
Already in my mind is the main edition later today... more local names, reaction from local fans, news of gatherings at Birmingham Cathedral, a planned Di-style response.
And tomorrow, we've wiped the regular 8-page archive edition pull-out and execs are already selecting pictures for The King of Pop tribute pull-out.
Readers buying today's paper will be prompted to email/post online their memories, tribute and thoughts, and as many of these as possible will be carried in tomorrow's tribute. (email letters@birminghammail.net by 6pm if you're wondering)
Deadlines looming, gotta go. Here's the Whittock. Buy the paper to see the rest.
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Steve Dyson - Blog from the Editor on recent issues and events.
Had the pleasure and privilege of seeing Michael Jackson in concert twice. He was mesmerising, a brilliant entertainer and will be missed by millions. A legend, a genius, a perfectionist. His music will continue to bring us joy. May he rest in peace.
The Wrights, Kings Heath.
Was in Brum today; great paper. Have arranged for shop to post me tomorrow's tribute. Thank you.
RIP michael. You will always be my Thriller. God be with you. X
Just shows the value of having a 'live' evening newspaper and not one that is finished before 11pm n'est pas, Sly and the hatchet men?
Growing up at a time when Michael Jackson was the coolest thing on the planet, it is so sad that it ends this way.
I remember (early 80's I think) staying up late with my parents permission, to watch the full 'Thriller' video on C4, talking for weeks about it with friends at school and us trying to do the 'zombie dance' in the playground.
An incredible musician, dancer and performer.
I will remember him for the man he once was, not what he became.
Is it just me or does this blog entry have just a hint of glee at the prospect of shifting a few more copies due to the death of legend?
Fascinating piece, Steve. Seems a while since there's been a "big" story like this. Amazing how the time of day affects print media.
Thanks for your posts, the Wright family, Jon/Nantwich, Debra of Kingstanding and Ben. You might enjoy reading other local tributes in the Birmingham Mail's King of Pop special pull-out in today's paper.
You're right, Tony Williams, it was an amazing 12 hours. Interesting media piece about the breaking of MJ's death in today's Guardian, in case you're interested. www.TMZ.com is pretty clued up. Their confirmation was texted by my Brummie ents contact Mike Olley @ 11.30pm, although Paul Cole's 10.53pm text is the earliest I've heard of. (I must ask Paul next week where he got his confirmation from.)
PS: Ben... 'hint of glee' not intended, but re-reading it I can see what you mean. This blog intends to provide an insight into various decion-making behind the scenes on a newspaper. I guess the 'news value' of such a story does excite, but the death, and more so the genuine grief of people, is not part of that. It's more to do with the hunger for the printed word/pictures at such times, and the fact that we have the privilege of providing that first.
Express & Star did a 15-page pullout. Think they beat you hands down on value for money.
Naa, 15-pages on day 2 would have been overkill in my mind, esp. with the nationals' offerings.
Think you'll find their 15 pages was on the Friday. That's value for money especially as they probably found out about it at the same time as you!
The Express and Star always beat the mail hands down when it comes to national stories, it begs belief that and Editor has a chance to fill a special pull out with lots of striking library images and chooses not to do so! This is the story that people are still talking about! Just proves why people don't buy the Mail any more! Snoozepaper!
The Cash: If it was 15-page on Fri, fair enough and well done the E&S.
Ex-snapper: I was happy with 5-pages of breaking news on Fri, then another four pages of news and an 8-page pull-out on day 2. This did well for us on the Fri... early figures show a nice sales peak of nearly 4k week-on-week. (PS: Are you 'ex' as in no longer taking pix, or 'ex' as in axe to grind?!)
Are you seriously suggesting that you didn't bother to look at what your biggest rival-competition did on the day? I find that staggering. Not quite as staggering as waiting 36 hours to put your pull-out together, by which time you lost the whole advantage of being a sameday paper and the nats as well as the E and S had mopped up. I presume your black country cousins didn't have as much compunction about working on a big story and had their hacks in overnight so they were ready to go on the friday morning. But looking at the two together, I have to say your's looks like the rush job Steve with big pictures there just to fill space, no obvious structure and very little text/analysis/info. Congrats on the 4k sales though, any paper would be pleased with that, even though I pewrsonally felt a little shortchanged by your efforts.
Thanks for your observations, 'The Swindler'. The ways local papers covered it is an interesting subject. Too much, too little or about right? I was pleased with ours, but also picked up a few positive and negatives from others. There are prob. many contrasts to discuss, but I'm not minded to go on about it too much here. The blog itself was meant to honestly show what we did, when and how for a wide audience of blog readers, not necessarily to say we were 100% right. On the whole, the Mail team did very well... though I'm always keen to pick up tricks.
There is no better time to be a page planner than when something like this happens, no matter how morbid it may see. And well done to the BPM gang on their efforts. Good to see a picture being given the chance to say a 1,000 words.
Steve, I think the comments here suggest that what the Mail needs to do is copy the Express and Star. Go on, dig out those 1960s templates, fill out every spare corner with naff national stuff people have no interest in and make it as hard as possible for people to find their way around the paper. You know it makes sense. Not
RH: You are right. The Birmingham Mail's p1 was a classic. Thanks.
Ad Naus: In fairness, great newspapers know what their audiences want. And figures show the audience is relatively happy with the E&S. Not everyone's cup of tea, but it evidently is deep in the Black Country.
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