More than 100 regional newspapers have united to salute the nation’s “health heroes” on their front pages today.
JPIMedia has launched a coordinated campaign, #HealthHeroes, which aims to celebrate both NHS workers and others involved in the fight against coronavirus.
The company says it wants to “shine a light” on other vital key roles from carers and shop workers to refuse collectors and bus drivers.
Daily and weekly titles across JPIMedia have splashed on the campaign this morning with a similar front page design. It has also featured online across the company’s websites.
Jeremy Clifford, JPIMedia editor-in-chief, said: “We have heard so many great stories of key workers who are continuing to work that we wanted to pay tribute to these in a big statement across our portfolio of products.
“As a result of an appeal to readers, we have been inundated with photos and messages.
“We hope that by putting them on our home pages and front pages, we are playing our small part in thanking those workers.”
One of the journalists involved in putting together the initiative was Laura Collins, editor of the Yorkshire Evening Post.
She tweeted: “This is special. Today over 100 titles across @JPIMediaLtd have joined forces to do what we do best. Celebrate and champion those making a real difference to others during this time of national emergency.
“Every single person featured is a hero.”
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Good idea, but doesn’t work for me. Readers won’t care that 100 other papers have the same front page and same photos.
What would have been good would have been to use photos of all local people, and get the print sales that come from that. I saw my local paper asking for photos yesterday, which is too short notice for busy people. If I want national news, I’ll buy a national paper.
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It beats having to find exclusives.
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Agree, exactly that Dave S
I applaud the sentiment but if the main USP of a local paper is it’s localness surely the images used should be local to each individual publication?
Additional copy sales and the feel good factor of key workers being featured and appreciated by local people has been lost in what is otherwise a very commendable gesture.
Similarly m, for some time now my local daily ( and I’m sure others ) have lost sight of being providers of unique hyper local news as they try to compete with the nationals. In doing do they fail on both fronts and lose more buyers/readers than they gain
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@Naarge and @DaveS
It was the same the other week with the ‘we are here with you’ front pages ( or whatever it was called).The use of generic covers with the same text where an individual localised message from the papers daily editor and some relevant images would have been far more effective. Another opportunity to engage with communities missed.
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Another splash that just misses… As Dave S says, using pictures of local heroes would have been better. It would have been more sincere, generate more sales and would have been a personalized front page, which all things considered is what these brave caring people deserve.
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I really don’t think the banner ad for an estate agent with the super hero image is an appropriate one to carry when the whole point is to recognise and celebrate true local heroes.
Left hands and right hands rather than a poor taste tacky commercial plug I hope
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Better idea. all papers campaign for the salary and pension contributions of any nurse or care worker who dies from the virus to be paid for at least, say, 10 years after death, or even to retirement. Their families must NOT suffer financial for their sacrifice. Go to it folks!
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