Our newsroom: What goes on in the newsroom … goes in the quote book

Nicola Adam, deputy editor at the Lancashire Post, takes us on a tour of the newsroom she is proud to call her work home … and one which feels very much like a family every day of the week

Tell us about your newsroom

They say what goes on in the newsroom stays in the newsroom but here at the Lancashire Post it goes in the ‘quote book’.

We can safely say that Hollywood film-writers would have a field day with what is in this precious notebook. It charts the high, lows and warped sense of humour journalists are famous for. Fortunately it is under lock and key, although it is always there for those moments when someone needs to be reminded of what they once said…..

This newsroom, a modern-affair we moved into two years ago, is a constantly active, continually evolving, print and digital news hub.

It works because Team LP ultimately works toward the same goal, to report for, champion and represent the communities we cover across Lancashire.

Possibly also because of the ever-present cake we are fuelled by — the more crumbs you see the busier the week — and we like pie too. It IS Lancashire..and then there is the annual Jacob’s Join….

We pride ourselves on the quality of our news and by quality I mean reporting the news people want to hear, not what we think they should, in all the formats people want.

Yes, we produce newspapers we are very proud of, but digital is now our number one focus as we transform in an ever-changing age of news consumption.

We respond and report quickly to our immense online and social audience but being first is not the be-all and end all in an era of ‘fake news’ — being accurate and providing the information people need is. Our brands have been in the community for well over a century, multiple generations rely on our titles, and we don’t want to let them down.

Our team is a family — and we pride ourselves on our community being represented through our reporters who range from young to more experienced — our readers are not all 23 so neither are our content producers.

The newspapers are a chance to get behind that news and produce quality, well-informed and relevant more in depth pieces and guides so reporters pride themselves on asking the questions no-one else does.

What’s the best thing about covering your county?

It’s the pride.

You don’t get any prouder than a born and bred Lancastrian and even incomers are welcomed with open arms to the red rose county. That pride is infiltrated through everything we do — there’s nothing Lancastrians like more than a local ‘done good’ and we build on that by shouting up our community heroes and the advantages of the fabulous towns, countryside and seaside we are famous for. It is most certainly not grim up north.

Oh, and don’t forget the kebabs/chips and gravy/fish barmcakes, which we have been known to ‘taste test’ for our top takeaway pages at lunchtime on the newsdesk. All in name of research..

What’s the thing your newsroom is most proud of in the past 12 months?

It’s just over a year now but when a big story breaks, family LP comes to the fore. When the Manchester bomb went off we took it personally and as we counted our multiple casualties — including children — we focused on being the voice of facts and reason amid the hubbub of outrage, unchecked social shouting and panic. More than a year later we are still reporting comprehensively and sensitively from and for the still-grieving and recovering communities. We are, after all, part of them.

What story are readers most likely to remember from your newsroom recently?

It sent real shockwaves through the community when two girls were killed and another seriously injured after being ploughed down by a car just coming off the M6 motorway. When the trial went ahead it emerged the driver had been texting on his phone — a finding which produced mixed emotions from our readers — fury and grief but also a sense of guilt for the many who perhaps have done similar with less tragic outcome. Safe to say it was a salutary lesson for many who have been tempted to use their phone on the road — plus a final answer for families torn apart by grief from his actions.

What story sticks out most in your memory from this newsroom?

It’s so, so, long ago now — but it was the case of the bull in the china shop. No, really. Never has a story garnered so much international attention as the story of the bull who made a bid for freedom from a local auction mart and stampeded through a large antique centre on a bank holiday Monday, scattering staff and customers in its wake.

Nobody was hurt, remarkably, but it was caught on CCTV and went viral in the days before anything really went viral. TV crews descended from American and China, it was complete madness. If it happened today would no doubt be the biggest story of the year on social.

If you had two sentences to convince someone to work in your newsroom, what would they be?

Be part of something, make a difference and develop as a reporter at a critical point in the evolution of journalism in a fast-paced, quality, regional multi-media newsroom — while enjoying plenty of cake, enjoying the banter and getting to know our readers.

*We are currently recruiting for an investigative reporter ( we lost our current one to the Huffington Post), a deputy news editor following internal promotion (our news editor has gone on to be editor of a daily title) and a new trainee reporter — so you CAN become part of our family. If you are interested e-mail a CV to helen.nicholas@jpress.co.uk