Newsquest Media Group launched a new campaign last week to help victims of the war in Ukraine. The initiative, #ThereWithUkraine, saw the publisher donating 5 pence from each of its daily newspapers sold on March 17 to the Red Cross DEC Ukraine Humanitarian appeal.

Dozens of the company’s weekly titles also joined the campaign, pledging to participate in the campaing that same week. Then, Newsquest also set up a fundraising page to allow for additional donations, and editors of each edition asked readers to join them in pledging money to the campaign.

“It only started last week on the front pages of our 23 daily titles and we hit £10,000 (US$13,252) in the first four days,” Toby Granville, editorial development director for Newsquest, told INMA. “One reader donated their whole month pension payment!”

To deploy the initiative, Newsquest publications included a story explaining the campaign and featured a poster in the colours of the Ukrainian flag that readers could display to show their support and solidarity. In addition, all the titles in the brand are spotlighting efforts in their individual communities to show how individuals and groups are supporting those affected by the war.

“Like everyone, we have been shocked and appalled at Russia’s invasion and we want to do whatever we can to help,” Granville said. “We know the generosity of our readers up and down the country.”

Newsquest modelled this campaign after the successful #ThereWithYou initiative it launched in March 2020 to show a unified front as the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the world. Similar to the Ukraine campaign, about 25 of Newsquest’s titles ran the same front page as a way to show support and reassurance for readers. In that instance, the headlines read, “When you’re on your own, we’re there with you.”

The Newsquest brand has a portfolio of more than 120 news brands, with 29 magazines online and in print. Together, those publications attract nearly 39 million online users a month, and 5.1 million print readers each week.

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