The workings of the newsroom during an election campaign

WMG CEO Jamie Credland recently interviewed Paul Royall , Executive News Editor at BBC News Channel . Royall gave us some fascinating insights into what went on behind the scenes in a news organisation in the run up to an election.

The “great game”- guess the election date

Royall began by talking about the strategic planning process put into place during an election year before the date is announced. A working group is created to focus on forward-planning and strategic-thinking, based on key campaign milestones. At BBC News, there’s a dedicated group for the UK election and a similar group for the US election. One of the greatest challenges – what Royall refers to as “the great game” – is predicting the election date. Despite the gossip and rumours, this year it came as a surprise to everyone.

The local elections in May were seen as a critical moment on the election roadmap. It was a dangerous time for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, with the Conservatives performing poorly. However, despite the anticipated turmoil, there were no significant changes immediately afterwards. Comments from Downing Street, which suggested the election would be in the second half of the year, led the media to believe that it was likely to be in October or November.

The surprise announcement

When Royall received a text the night before the May 22nd election announcement, he initially dismissed it as speculation. He explained how the following day, the BBC news team started to build the true picture. BBC News’ Chief Political Correspondent, Henry Zeffman, got the cogs turning when he tweeted that an election in the second part of the year could actually be as early as July. Later that morning, the BBC’s Political Editor, Chris Mason, intimated that something may be happening that day, and the BBC News team began preparing for the “podium moment”.?

Shifting to real-time reporting?

Despite the surprise nature of the announcement, the BBC news teams were prepared to adapt quickly. Royall described how they shifted from routine coverage to their specialty – rolling reporting, which requires journalists and editors to communicate and make judgements, analysing the issues and data in real-time to keep the public informed.

One of the significant developments in recent years has been the rise of fact-checking operations, such as BBC Verify, which aims to uncover misinformation and disinformation. This has changed the dynamic between political parties and the media, making it harder for politicians to escape scrutiny. When it comes to Generative AI, however, Royall said the UK election had not been negatively impacted to the extent that he’d expected. In fact, the UK election campaign was relatively conventional, with a focus on traditional media for the key moments, such as the televised debates.?

Election campaigns rarely change opinion

As for the rationale behind the early announcement, Royall pointed out that the Conservatives had little to gain in terms of political wins later on in the year, and the potential to be hurt by a further economic downturn. Although the election campaign was quite “presidential” with Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer appearing much more frequently than their deputies in an attempt to sway voters, Royall didn’t expect it made a huge difference overall. In the UK, the number of seats retained by the Conservatives was decided by just a couple of hundred thousand swing voters. Similarly, in the US, the election result will be determined by a small number of people in swing states.

The next six months for Labour

Royall says Starmer has a tough time ahead. He described their election campaign approach as “the Ming vase strategy” – to get over the line without dropping the vase. Having conducted a controlled campaign in terms of policy announcements, the Labour leader now has to deal with a patchy economy and public services that need investment. Royall expects Starmer will have to make tough choices, balancing the growth of the economy to keep businesses happy while staying true to the party’s belief in supporting those less advantaged in society, not to mention the significant global challenges he faces.

Sunak passed the baton to Starmer with a gracious final speech, but it was perhaps Jeremy Hunt’s words that will stay with many people. Hunt reminded us that although the general election result was not the one he wanted, that is “the magic of democracy,” and we should be grateful to live in a country where decisions are made by “peacefully placing crosses in boxes on bits of paper”.?

Likewise, we are lucky to live in a country where the freedom of the press means we have access to trusted journalism rather than state-controlled propaganda, and can make educated decisions about who we think is best placed to run the country.?

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