Julie started her career in journalism as a trainee at BBC News where she subsequently spent ten years. She was programme editor on the PM programme for four years before moving to ITN as news editor of ITN News. Julie spent two years running the ITV News Westminster bureau before working on Channel 4 News, where she has been a programme editor for the past two and a half years.

Julie answered 11 questions about different aspects of her role and responsibilities.

Question 1|

Q: What do you see as the role of Channel 4 News? Does this differ from the lunchtime to the evening edition?

A: Julie says that the role of Channel 4 News is to inform people, to analyse what's going on in the news, to hold decision-makers accountable and to tell people why the news matters. At 12 o'clock, the news of the day is still happening so the programme focuses on explaining what's going on that day and doing a bit of analysis. The evening programme is a full analysis of the day's news and examines how events have developed over the course of the day.

Question 2|

Q: When news is changing constantly and a large number of people are relying on the programme for accurate information, how do you tread the fine line between being up-to-date and checking sources and facts? Do you feel the responsibility of getting things right?

A: Julie says that the Channel 4 News team feels the responsibility of getting things right very strongly! When they are unsure of whether something is a confirmed fact or not, they make calls to reputable sources to try and confirm it and in the meantime, alert the public to the possibility. The language chosen is very important and Channel 4 News will name the source or say 'unconfirmed' if there are still lots of missing facts in a story.

Question 3|

Q: What would happen if the presenter froze during a live broadcast?

A: Julie says that the presenter has never frozen during a live broadcast she was responsible for, but if he/she did, the first thing she would do is remain calm and try to talk to him/her through their earpiece. If the presenter freezes during an interview, an option is to move on to the next story where the presenter can read the autocue and hopefully regain control of the programme. During the evening programme, since there are two presenters, there is also the option of having the second presenter take over.

Question 4|

Q: Have you ever based a long slot on a story that suddenly fails, leaving you with nothing to fill the slot?

A: Julie says that yes, it has happened that she has had to fill a long slot unexpectedly! There were technical problems with the lead item, and the re-worked version of the story wasn't edited in time to make it onto the bulletin. Julie had to make do with a previous version since there was an interview lined up after the item. She says that programme editors always plan for the worst and have contingency plans if an item falls through at the last minute, like extending the length of live interviews or slotting correspondents into the programme.

Question 5|

Q: If you have too many packages for the programme what factors do you take into account when dropping one?

A: If a big story breaks late in the day and Julie has to drop items from the programme, the pieces she tends to drop are: the ones that relate to stories from newspapers and the morning programme, stories that can be told easily in less time and stories that are timeless and can be aired on another day. Stories that wouldn't be dropped are those based on original journalism (something Channel 4 has insight into that no one else does) and those that add colour to the programme and maintain a balance between light and serious stories.

Question 6|

Q: To maintain an objective point of view, how are decisions made about the language used in stories? Can you give an example of a situation where the language used in a story was contentious and what was done about it?

A: Julie says that language used in the news is very important to remain impartial. There is often debate over whether to call certain groups 'terrorists', 'freedom fighters' or 'insurgents' and often the appropriate terms to use emerge over time. If there is an issue with the language used in a story, the Channel 4 News team will discuss it and come to an agreement.

Question 7|

Q: How do you decide how much time to allot to guests in live interviews?

A: Julie says that the amount of time allotted to guests usually depends on how interesting the guest is and the number of questions they have for them. If, for example, they have a guest on the programme they have been trying to get for a long time, they will give them a long slot on the show and ask them a lot of questions. If someone is explaining something or commenting, they will usually be allocated about three minutes. In a discussion, if the two guests have very different viewpoints they will be allocated more time than two guests with similar views so that they can have a go at each other.

Question 8|

Q:What difficulties can arise while the show is on air and how do you handle them?

A: Julie says that it's the programme editor's job to deal with problems that arise when the show is on air, so she has to be pre-emptive and to think of possible solutions to potential problems. Some problems that can arise are: a live guest arrives late, a report isn't done because of technical problems, there are technical problems in the gallery, the sound desk breaks, the server that holds the pictures collapses or there are computer problems right when the show is about to go on air and producers are all finishing their edits! Julie says that the worst thing that can happen is that the top story isn't ready after the presenter has already introduced it, in which case they must move onto something else and come back to it. Usually, even if there are serious problems and everyone is stressed out, Julie says that they manage to pull it off and the audience has no clue!

Question 9|

Q: Do your personal interests affect the content of programmes that you edit?

A: Julie says that although her interests shouldn't affect the programme, they do. She likes sports, so when there is a good sports story she tries to get it on the show. On the other hand, she is not that interested by education stories so usually she has to work harder at finding really interesting aspects of those stories to compensate. She says that each programme editor has their own interests, and it can be frustrating because they may not follow up on a story she has produced the previous day that she thinks deserves more attention.

Question 10|

Q: How often do you have to change a programme or stories on the advice of the legal team?

A: Julie says that lawyers are very involved when the news team is following a big investigation and gives advice about what language to use, like using the word 'alleged' when something is still unconfirmed. In some cases, the legal team may also say that less cautious language can be used in a story.

Question 11|

Q: What makes a good programme?

A: Julie says that for her, a good programme is all about the right mix of stories and should include: a new story that will take people by surprise and is followed by a live interview, some original journalism that's analytical and beautifully filmed, some foreign reportage, a mix of light and serious items, and a really good tale.