The writer of the Guardian's First Edition newsletter has signed off after 468 editions, moving to an editing role within the organisation. In a farewell message, they reflected on the privilege of covering the day's most significant stories, from the climate crisis to the conflict in Gaza, and the ephemeral nature of much of the news cycle.
The editor acknowledged the support of colleagues including Nimo, Aamna, and the production team, and noted that Aamna, Martin Belam, and Karen McVeigh would be taking over the newsletter. The final edition also recapped some of the day's top stories, including allegations against the ICC prosecutor, Lucy Powell's comments on Labour's tax commitments, and Tesla shareholders' approval of Elon Musk's compensation plan.
Among the lessons drawn from three years of writing the newsletter, the editor highlighted that the best guides to stories are often those who approach them from an unexpected angle. They cited architect Eyal Weizman's perspective on Trump's proposal for Gaza, BBC Monitoring's Francis Scarr on Russian state TV, and an anonymous banker's views on Liz Truss's mini-budget as examples.
The editor also noted the rapid forgetting of many stories, admitting to a blank memory regarding a 1,100-word piece about the McDonald's 99p burger. They described the period as one of very big and often dark stories, but expressed gratitude for the opportunity to share them with readers.
