Just as you need to keep up to date, so does the news editor so that he or she can make decisions about the news. The news editor will also notify photographers if pictures are needed and will keep the editor and the chief sub-editor in touch with the progress of the more important stories. It is vital that you keep your news editor in touch with what's happening: the key issues that are likely to bubble up and affect the future of a story.

The news editor needs to know what stories are available when they will be ready for publication. These stories will then be discussed by news conference; a gathering of all the editorial executives. On a daily paper or local radio station, there will be at least one conference a day and possibly more. A conference early in the day will discuss the latest news to go on the live news pages tor that issue of the paper or the next bulletin. It may then go on to discuss the overnight pages, early pages for the next issue of the paper. A later conference will then update the situation. The conference gives all the executives a chance to detail the stories or pictures they have for the next paper and explain how they envisage using them. T his gives the executives a chance to liaise so that the editorial team produces the best product possible.