Lifestyle is the ‘fun’ bit of a newspaper – this is what I’ve learned after four years as editor

Over the past four years I have overseen coverage of the death of fashion designers, chefs, celebrities, royalty and Covid-19, writes Harriet Hall

I never imagined that part of this remit would include reporting on a pandemic

Lifestyle is typically seen as the “fun” bit of any newspaper – and given that it encompasses fashion, beauty, wellness, food and travel that is, in some ways, a fair judgement. We certainly have a good time doing it.

But for me, lifestyle coverage has always been more about uncovering the personal side of the news: speaking to the people behind the headlines, telling the stories behind the statistics. Really good lifestyle journalism should tap into the talking points of the day, pinning down that difficult-to-define “feeling” we all have regarding a topic or during a news event, and exploring it on the page.

It has been a complete privilege to run a team of talented, hungry journalists who work incredibly hard to bring our readers the news, features and opinion that matter to you. And also, to bring a smile to your faces amid the misery of the news cycle.