Though the paper goes to press tomorrow morning, Wednesdays are, to all intents and purposes, our deadline day. Most of our copy has to be filed by the end of play today, and most of the pages have to be laid out by our sub editors.
You may expect me, then, to have some idea of the running order of the paper by now. In reality, I haven't got a clue. Well, I have, but it's bound to change a few more times today - it always does.
People always raise an eyebrow at me when I say this but, having seen both sides of the coin, I'd argue news editing a paper on a busy patch like Croydon is actually more difficult than in a quieter, less news-rich area. Yes, it's tougher to find stories elsewhere but, for an editor, juggling 8 or 9 constantly evolving stories and factoring in daily breaking news is a tough discipline in itself.
News editor Gabriel Shepard and I meet on Mondays and Tuesdays to map out pages 1-20 but, essentially, it's a waste of time. We'll be back to the drawing board again by Wednesday morning and, at times, even Wednesday afternoon. On previous papers I've edited, you could generally map out the order of the paper two days from deadline and it would remain, save for the odd tweak here and there.
Not that I'm complaining - I wouldn't have it any other way. Croydon is a wonderful place to cover and, contrary to those who say we're obsessed with crime, it's the diversity and variation of news which make it so interesting. Our news list this week is testament to that.
I can this week promise the latest on the safe return of missing teen Shelley Pratt, a major boost for our hospital, a typically lively column from Crystal Palace manager Ian Holloway, an update on the future of the Allders site and a couple of fascinating education stories.
Just don't ask me where they'll appear!
Glenn Ebrey
Editor
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EDITOR'S BLOG: Deadline Day
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