Lessons for newspaper campaigns in the digital age

"Any newspaper worth its salt in the modern age should know the key ingredients of a good campaign," said Tony Gallagher, joint deputy editor, Daily Mail.

With a constant stream of news stories rolling in front of our eyes, campaigning journalism can break through the noise and engage readers, he added, speaking at a London Press Club and Pagefield debate in London yesterday.

"Campaigns can give you a point of difference, and they do make a unique proposition," he explained.

To become sustainable, a campaign needs a human story and a clear marker of what constitutes success.

It is important the readers feel they are part of that story, and part of that changeSharon Hendry, The Sun

"It works to a newspaper's benefit enormously that you can leverage the online audience," said Gallagher.

Rather than having to wait days for letters from readers to come in and show if the campaign has struck the right chord, feedback now comes in real time.

"You can get instant response from your postbag and it generates journalism in its own right," he added.

Reactions to a Daily Mail investigation into the Welsh NHS in late 2014, for example, prompted the paper to run a double page feature driven by readers' emails, comments on the site, and a "small handful of letters".

Sharon Hendry, senior features writer at The Sun, said newspapers should no longer claim victory for themselves when it comes to successful campaigns, but should foster a dialogue with the audience.

"It is important the readers feel they are part of that story, and part of that change," she told delegates.

At the Evening Standard, campaigns tend to be built around social issues, explained campaigns editor David Cohen. He said he looks for an investigative element to start off a campaign with "more traction and more bite".

You don't want the readers to know what's on every pageTony Gallagher, The Daily Mail

The Evening Standard's Dispossessed drive, for example, began as an investigation and was built up to its current form, which includes a fund set up in 2010, following the readers' response.

But not all of the Standard's campaigns have this type of background, and Cohen said what really makes a campaign is the story behind it, and being able to "somehow exemplify the campaign in one or two people".

And having an element of surprise, taking up an issue readers might not expect or that might go against the editorial line, for example, can be an effective strategy.

"You don't want the readers to know what's on every page," said Gallagher.

At The Sun, foreign investigations such as stories from Haiti or the Philippines can have this effect, said Hendry.

"That's the other thing about social media now, there is no such thing as a story based in one place," she added. "Every story we write is totally global."

But the success of a newspaper campaign still comes down to whether people care about the issue, Hendry explained.

"At some point, forget the Twitterati," he said. "Are they going to talk about it down the pub?"

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