Journalists team up to hear views of 5,000 voters before General Election
Local newsrooms around the UK have teamed up to ensure the voices of regular voters are heard ahead of the General Election.
Reach launched its 5000 voices project, a video series running across its UK national and local titles in the run-up to and surrounding the July 4 election.
With contributing titles including the Mirror, the Express, the Manchester Evening News, ChronicleLive, Liverpool Echo, Daily Record and Wales Online, the titles are aiming to collect 5000 vox pop clips from people around the country.
Reach has deployed upwards of 40 journalists to take to the streets and ask people about the issues which are important to them, particularly those they feel are not being given enough attention by politicians or the media.
Participating journalists have received additional training in video editing, guidance on carrying out vox pops and electoral law and safety briefings.
The vox pops are centred around a dozen locations around the UK, including Glasgow, Newcastle, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Bristol and London.
Within those areas journalists will cover a range of constituencies, from key marginals and Red Wall battlegrounds through to safe seats where voters can often be overlooked by the major parties.
Chief Digital Publisher David Higgerson said: “With our combination of national titles spanning the political spectrum and dozens of local
titles around the country, Reach is well placed to provide full and varied coverage of what people on the street are really thinking as this election unfolds.
“This ambitious undertaking will not only bring rich content to our daily reporting but provide a snapshot of the country’s mood at this important moment in time.”
Helen Dalby, Audience and Content Director for Reach in the North East and Yorkshire, added: “Vox pops are a classic for a reason — they always uncover something surprising and they’re a brilliant and lively reminder that even in one neighbourhood, there is so much diversity of background and opinion.
“Our local newsrooms have a vital role to play in giving people in the communities they represent a voice, and allowing them to be heard on the issues that matter to them. This project is an important part of making those voices heard as loudly as possible.”
The project is only one of Reach’s multi-platform offerings as it covers the campaign trail. Last week it launched The Division Bell, a vodcast hosted by Express political editor Sam Lister and Mirror political editor John Stevens.
Each episode will debate a hot topic from both sides of the political divide, with new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday on Apple and Spotify.
Other recent launches include Poll Position, a live Mirror YouTube show running daily from Monday to Thursday and simultaneously live streamed on YouTube and X, hosted by Mirror Associate Editor Kevin Maguire.
Mirror Political Correspondent Sophie Huskisson is also hosting a daily Election Spotlight on TikTok, taking viewers with her on location as she follows the campaign trail each day.
