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March 13, 2008
Staff issues
It's been quite a week so far and a bit like the weather I feel as though I have been blown about a bit.
While on the subject of the weather it seems that a lot of people took the warnings earlier in the week not to travel unless it was absolutely necessary quite literally.
The roads, and the M25 in particular, were deserted during both the morning and evening rush-hour on Monday - perhaps we should have storm force winds everyday!
Thankfully all the Gazette's dedicated staff made it in apart from content editor David Tilley, who has been sunning himslef on holiday this week in Devon. Well perhaps the wind might have least given him a tan!
However, our chief reporter Chris Longhurst has stepped up to the mark and done a fine job in running the newsdesk in David's absence - although I think he will be soon counting down the hours until David's return next week.
Apart from looking after the Gazette I have been busy dealing with staff issues which have included appointing a new production editor, looking at candidates for a vacant feature writer's post and also sifting through applications for sub editor positions that we have and setting up interviews.
It's all verey time consuming and I must admit that my heart usually sinks when the dreaded resignation letter falls on my desk and I have to start the recruitment process all over again.
We are already well ahead with planning next week's Gazette with several big issues on the news agenda.
These include the apparent worrying increase in youth gang violence in the borough, new efforts to save a number post offices from closure and several parking rows that seem to be brewing up.
Several of these stories have been the topic of considerable debate on the website and as I said last week they can certainly play a role in shaping up the weekly news agenda for the Gazette and at the same time increasing traffic on the website.
Posted by aseal at March 13, 2008 12:46 PM