No matter how much you plan, you can never be prepared for Donald Trump

If you want to get ahead of the game in all things SEO and social media, you need to be a scheduling guru. A key component to running a successful news operation is knowing what’s going to happen and when, especially in the world of audience.

Of course even legends like those who work in audience can’t predict the future, but we can obsessively scan schedules, calendars and anniversaries, to make sure we minimise the chance of being caught off-guard.

But how can you possibly prepare a newsroom for Donald Trump?

As the US president met North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Vietnam last week, I sat – 12 hours behind – in our New York office, poised to cover the leaders’ second summit. A White House schedule let us know when the pair would be meeting, eating and speaking. Of course an element of unpredictability is what makes news so exciting and engaging, but having rough outlines like this is immensely helpful.

So, as we liveblog about the mysterious signing ceremony and whether North Korea will divulge information about its nuclear programmes, the rug is pulled out from underneath us.

In a surprise announcement, Trump ended talks early, with no deal between the two nations reached. “Sometimes you have to walk,” the president said, leaving a carefully prepared meal of foie gras, snowfish and candied ginseng untouched in Hanoi.

We in the newsroom, of course, know how to deal with a sudden change in plans: that is the nature of breaking news.

But it’s certainly a rollercoaster when Donald Trump throws plans out of the window as he storms off, changes his mind, and sends an explosive tweet that could change the day’s news agenda.

Yours,

Lucy Anna Gray

Assistant audience editor