Newspaper Campaigns

• What is it?

  • when newspapers are used to spread the information and message about a campaign
  • used to reach a wider audience, gain interest and help the cause of the campaign
• Sarah Payne: Name and Shame Campaign

  • caused by murder of Sarah Payne by known sex offender Roy Whiting
  • naming and shaming known sex offenders and paedophiles, led to them being attacked by vigilantes
  • used News of the World newspaper to publish the names
  • led to Sarah's Law, Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme: allows parents, guardians and carers to ask the police to tell them if someone has a criminal record for child sexual offences
• Express and Star: Deadly Knives Campaign

  • raised the issue of deadly combat knives following the murder of Stefan Appleton
  • try to ban deadly knives, 'zombie knives'
  • backed by the police commissioner, lobbied parliament
  • led to the manufacture, sale, hire, importing or lending of zombie knives becoming illegal with a 6 month custodial sentence and/or a fine