We live in turbulent times.

Brexit, the coronavirus, and terrorism all dominate domestic headlines in the United Kingdom. To reassure and inform the public in times of crises, the British government turns to the nation’s newspapers to deliver its messages. They offer reach, trusted environments, and engaged audiences — all at the same time.

According to the latest PAMCo numbers, UK journalism reaches more people monthly, weekly, and daily than US-based tech platforms. This translates into 48 million people a month, 45 million people a week, and 31 million people a day. And the news brands are trusted, offering high-performing environments that drive engagement.

The government has a long history of using newspapers to deliver their messages to the public — from the iconic “Your country needs you” advertisement asking people to join the country’s army in 1914 to the very real coronavirus threat we are currently experiencing.

Here are a few recent examples:

Brexit

After years of negotiations, the United Kingdom has finally left the European Union — to the joy and dismay of many. The intricacies of the relationship between Europe and the United Kingdom will bring change on all fronts, from data-roaming charges to where salmon will come from.

Throughout the past months, the government’s “Get ready for Brexit” campaign covered our national newspapers. In the past weeks, “The UK has now left the EU” ads took over. People are asking what it means for individuals; the government ads try to answer these questions.

Metropolitan Police

To mark National Apprenticeship Week, the Metropolitan Police launched its scheme in a media-first campaign. Its first content partnership with a media owner was featured in the Metro and distributed to morning commuters. Metro reaches 860,000 Londoners daily and has a younger audience that aligned perfectly with the target audience of the scheme.

National Health Service (NHS)

Labelled a global health emergency by the World Health Organization, the coronavirus is on the top of the national agenda in the United Kingdom. With cases on the rise, the NHS issued a newspaper ad titled “Coronavirus: Public information,” reassuring the public it is well-prepared to deal with the crisis and calling on people to protect themselves by following a few simple steps. The multi-platform campaign aims to slow the spread of the virus and continues to be featured in the newspaper.

Like many other brands that tap into news brands’ engaged audiences, they know their money is going to quality and trusted environments.

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