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September 20, 2001updated 17 May 2007 11:30am

Regionals pull out all the stops to cover NY atrocity

By Press Gazette

 Regional newspapers seized the moment to bring news of the World Trade Center terrorist attack to as many of their readers as possible.

The timing of the attack meant evenings were able to rush out late specials, and many editorial teams worked through the night to put out morning editions sold alongside the nationals.

Some regional papers had reporters in New York by chance. Shropshire Star deputy chief reporter Tracey O’Sullivan was there for a family wedding. She filed constantly to the paper as the scale of the disaster unfolded (see panel).

Bradford Telegraph & Argus journalist Martin Heminway was on honeymoon in New York, and Emma Brady of the Birmingham Post was about to board a sight-seeing cruise when the World Trade Center was hit.

Both were able to give eyewitness accounts to their papers.  The Wolverhampton-based Express & Star had a staffer in New York, Anne-Laure Domenichini, who was covering fashion week. She had also planned to celebrate her 30th birthday in the city with her parents and sister who were flying in from France, and had booked a table on the 107th floor of the World Trade Center.

When the disaster happened she filed copy every day. Editor Warren Wilson said: "She did a brilliant job for the paper".

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The Bristol Evening Post put out a late final and a final extra on the day of the attack. A special morning edition was printed at 6am after some staff had worked more than 24 hours without a break.

The Evening Star, Ipswich, and the Grimsby Telegraph carried the picture of the American flag being hoisted among the Trade Center’s ruins in Wednesday editions, ahead of The Sun, which made it the page one front on Thursday, as did the News Letter in Belfast. By Thursday, the News Letter had run 40 pages of terrorist coverage.

The news broke just before the Manchester Evening News’s third and final edition.

The paper managed to change four pages and get the edition out by 3pm.

A special late edition carrying six pages of special reports and pictures was out by 5pm. Although 57,000 extra copies were produced, outlets ran out of copies because of the massive demand.

In Liverpool, the Echo stopped production, devoted seven pages to the story, and printed an extra 19,000 copies as a special edition.

The Yorkshire Evening Post in Leeds produced a four page special on the terrorist attack in its usual 3.45pm, and then a late night final at 4.45pm with six pages of coverage.

Leeds city centre vendors sold an extra 2,500 to 3,000 copies in two hours.

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

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