Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief
Clear Channel UK has announced a new partnership with Positive News, a pioneering media outlet that reports on what’s going ‘right’ in the world where they will deliver uplifting stories of progress to millions of people in public spaces.
Ben Hope, Marketing Director at Clear Channel UK, told us “In a world filled with clickbait headlines and negative narratives, we are aiming to bring alternative, credible news content to local communities and add more positivity to people’s everyday lives. Out of Home, as a highly trusted media channel, is perfectly placed to amplify the rigorous journalistic work of the team at Positive News who share our vision of making a positive societal difference. This partnership is an opportunity to put a smile on your face, and what’s not to love about that?”
As part of this new content partnership, a curated selection of socially relevant good news stories, provided by Positive News, will be displayed on Clear Channel’s 3500+ digital Out of Home screens on high streets and in shopping malls all around the UK.
The posters will highlight a range of recent UK stories that people might have not seen in traditional news outlets or on social media, ranging from the latest developments in sustainability to inspirational human interest stories, joining the dots between how people, communities and organisations are changing the world for the better.
Sean Wood, CEO at Positive News, said: “With studies revealing that a huge volume of the British public now avoid the news because it brings them down, we’re offering an empowering alternative. This exciting partnership with Clear Channel will give prominence to positive headlines at scale, helping people discover that it’s not all doom and gloom and an incredible amount of positive change is happening. Together with Clear Channel, we’re breaking the bad news bias.”
This is the first time that Clear Channel has partnered with a content publisher in the UK as part of ongoing efforts to improve public spaces and give back to the communities in which it operates. The partnership cements the company’s commitment to be a Platform for Good, having already donated £20 million worth of media space to 50 charities in 2023 and funded various social impact and environmental initiatives.
Building upon consistent growth in recent years of Positive News’ readership, the partnership will bring its journalism to new audiences, responding to what the Positive News team sees as a growing need and appetite for news stories that are socially relevant but focused on positive responses to problems, rather than just the problems themselves. Research published in 2022 by the Reuters Institute revealed that 46% of people in the UK now avoid the news, with the majority of avoiders saying that the news was bringing them down.
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