At The Northern Echo, we have two news conferences a day - one at 12.30pm and the other at 4pm.

Heads of department - the news editor, sports editor, business editor, chief sub-editor etc - come into my office to discuss the stories of the day.

In between, I try to find time to walk round the newsroom, talking to the journalists.

When one of them has a particularly good story, I like to know the background. I ask how they got it. Had they shown particular initiative? Had a contact come up trumps?

I know there's a world of difference in the way nationals and regionals operate and I completely accept that my knowledge of life on national newspapers is limited. I've only ever worked for regional titles - the Scunthorpe Telegraph, Hartlepool Mail and Northern Echo.

But I find it inconceivable that editors on national papers like the News of the World don't ask basic questions like: "Oh that's a cracking yarn - how did we get it?"

Or do they simply say: "Oh that's a cracking yarn - I wonder if it was down to the reporter showing jolly good initiative or a contact coming up with the goods. S'pose I'll never know - best get back to the strategy meeting."