What does a day in the life of a News Director for Sunday Star-Times look like? 
I always tell people that while most people's weeks start to wind down the closer they get to Saturday, ours are the opposite. We generally start the week off brainstorming, talking to journalists from around the newsrooms, and freelancers, and deciding what we'd like in the paper that weekend. 

During the week it's a mix of planning ahead and preparing for that weekend, including visualising and planning concepts for our front pages. By Friday and Saturday, we are editing, proofreading and managing live news. Late on Saturday night, we bid adieu to the paper, then start from scratch again the following Tuesday! I try and squeeze in my own writing and reporting when I can so my week is also a juggle of planning and publishing, as well as interviewing and writing. 

What's your favourite part of the role?  
Probably the variety. I love that I can write about people and issues that I'm interested in while also being a part of the broader planning and production of the paper. I'm surrounded by very smart editors and news directors so I try and soak up and learn as much as I can from them. 

And, there's nothing quite like sending a paper off for print on a Saturday night, and I still marvel at some of the stories we've told over the years and how no paper is ever the same! 

You've also worked as a Tutor / Lecturer for journalism university students. Do you have a number one piece of advice for young people trying to get into the industry? 
I always tell my students to consume news as much as possible and just be interested in the people and the world around them - it's where your best story ideas are going to come from.

I also try and encourage them to be ambitious and get their foot in the door any way they can - whether that's through inviting industry leaders out for coffee, applying for internships or even just asking if there's any space to come and observe in newsrooms. Showing that you're keen, interested, and tenacious will set you apart. 

Back to the Sunday Star-Times - how does the masthead work with the wider Stuff network? 
We're very lucky that we're able to draw on the expertise and reporting of the stable of journalists, photographers and videographers Stuff has around the country, who work in newsrooms that are sometimes in far-flung spots (from Northland all the way down to Invercargill). 

I think Stuff and the Sunday Star-Times' ability to report stories from areas around the country that may otherwise go unnoticed gives us an edge because not everyone lives in the major cities. For example, this story about Normanby milker Cliff Shearer, who is unique in New Zealand milking for his small herd size - look at these gorgeous photos!

How would you describe the Sunday Star-Times' editorial approach in just a few words for someone who has never read it before? 
We like to inspire, inform, and tell interesting stories, through excellent writing and beautiful photography.

That's the elevator pitch. We really do think Sunday is one of the few (perhaps the only) days where people can really take the time to let themselves be drawn into other worlds. We like to curate our content to include what we think people should know but also what we think they might enjoy reading about - whether it's a unique story or an interesting piece of writing.

Any advice for media professionals looking to pitch to your team? 
We're always going to ask you for the human face that represents an issue, a statistic, or a story. Photo opportunities are important, and we're really just looking for ideas and stories that move an issue forward or give us a new way of thinking about something.