Ashley Highfield: Local Press Election Coverage Will be Digital First

Johnston Press chief executive Ashley Highfield has written of his belief that general election coverage in the local press will be “digital first” although print will still “shape and reinforce readers’ views.”

“Local news is and should continually develop what editorial teams do and how they do it, to meet the demands of audiences who have ever more online sources of local news,” Ashley wrote in a piece for the Guardian co-authored by group editorial development director Paul Napier this week.  

“This means publishing news stories online first. There is no waiting around for the next print edition. Election coverage in the regional press will, without doubt, be digital first. The 2015 general election will be an important test for local and regional news. This year, we’ll find out whether local journalists have begun to recognise how important digital technology is for its audience.

“This doesn’t mean local and regional print won’t be important in the run-up to 7 May. What appears in the pages of our local newspapers will still shape and reinforce readers’ views – when the local paper reports on the sitting or prospective local MP, it counts. But the local press will also have to be at the top of its digital game in this election.

“Local news is and should continually develop what editorial teams do and how they do it, to meet the demands of audiences who have ever more online sources of local news. This means publishing news stories online first. There is no waiting around for the next print edition. Election coverage in the regional press will, without doubt, be digital first.

There will be an emphasis on speed and reporting events as they happen, not well after they have happened. The whole cycle of a news story is now swifter than ever. It has to be live. Equally, audiences’ response to events in the general election campaign, expressed on social media, won’t just be layered around stories, but will be part of them.

“Video on local and regional sites will also be a feature of the 2015 campaign. Local and regional reporters should be equipped to capture a story on video. Audiences often have their smartphones in their hands, and so too should journalists. Hustings where a reporter sits in the front row taking shorthand notes to shape subsequent reporting are now more likely to be aired live online on a local press website.

“This ability to tell stories that closely connect to the local audience is what sets the local press apart. The future shape of the NHS, for example, will be a key area of debate in the next few months. For Johnston Press titles, it will be what that debate means for each local community that makes the headlines.

“People may tire of theoretical debates around healthcare, but print and online readers of the Scarborough News, for example, will care that their local hospital had to bring in emergency measures to deal with demand in the opening days of January – and that’s where the local media storytelling concentrates.

“In the past, it was the experience of the newsroom alone that dictated which stories were covered. In covering the 2015 general election, journalists will need to look to real-time analytics to show interest levels in particular stories. In 2010, newsrooms would have to wait until the following day to see how popular coverage had been. This time round, newsrooms can see immediately what’s attracting and holding interest digitally, and act accordingly.

“The local and regional press have been covering elections for a long time. The parliamentary upheavals of the 19th century coincided with the arrival of many local and regional titles that are still with us in 2015. In some communities, many people could buy their local paper long before they could cast a vote.

“Underpinning the success of local and regional media through the centuries has been its ability to connect directly with its audience. This remains the case in 2015 – the only difference being that this connection will be achieved in a data-driven, multi-platform way, ensuring relevance for voters and political parties.”