Reach plc, the UK’s largest commercial, national, and regional news publisher, has unveiled new research – Local Advantage: Where Trust Lives – conducted by PA Consulting, which demonstrates the effectiveness of advertising in trusted, local online news environments.
In a digital landscape increasingly shaped by misinformation and AI-generated content, the study shows 87% of people say they actively seek trustworthy sources and 81% look for authenticity, reinforcing the vital role that credible journalism plays in how audiences engage with brands.
The survey also revealed that trust and relevance were the defining traits of best-performing media environments, with 63% more likely to trust reporting from journalists they know within their own community.
The research reveals ads placed in local online news sites – when compared to ads on ‘other media’ (social media, podcasts, online video, radio, and apps) – evoke higher feelings of trust (+26%), reassurance (+41%), and connection (+26%), while driving greater loyalty (+8%) and purchases (+6%).
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The findings are based on a survey of 5,000 UK media users conducted between 5–17 August 2025 by PA Consulting on behalf of Reach. Researchers looked at 17 different content attributes, such as trustability, relevance, positivity, and accuracy, to see which ones had the biggest impact on how people engage with the ads surrounding them.
Louise Chow, director of insights & measurement at Reach commented: “What comes through clearly is that placement matters just as much as the message itself. When engaging with an ad, 76% of users consider the environment surrounding it a key factor in their decision-making – and 64% are influenced by the media brand hosting the ad.”
This trend also tracks for younger audiences (Gen Z and Millennials), who still return to local online news to fulfil needs that social media platforms cannot, deeming local sites to provide more trustworthy content (+18%), positivity (+17%), and connection (+10%).
Among Gen Z and Millennials, Reach local titles deliver uplifts of +14% in recommendation, +11% in ad recall, and +9% in engagement versus local online competitors.
Furthermore, the data shows that readers in a local publication’s own region spend significantly longer and view more pages than the average user. For example, Liverpool Echo readers in Liverpool generate more than triple the page views per person, and spend three times longer on pages, compared with the broader average.
The research also highlights clear advertising opportunities by sector in local online news sites. Financial services perform particularly well, with 88% of readers saying they’re open to seeing ads on this channel, followed by travel, which attracts 84% of users. Sports and retail campaigns also resonate strongly, at 80% and 76% respectively, followed by gambling and lottery brands at 68%.
Emma Callaghan, chief revenue officer at Reach, said: “This research confirms what we’ve long known: trusted local journalism isn’t just vital for communities, it’s also a high-performance environment for advertisers. When brands connect directly with people where they live through trusted online local channels, they benefit from that channel’s credibility, which drives stronger engagement, business outcomes, and customer loyalty.
“Across Reach’s local online titles, that connection really stands out, with over 60% of users seeing them as trustworthy, ‘for people like me’, and connected to the community. This translates into measurable uplifts for advertisers through greater loyalty, purchase likelihood, ad recall, and engagement.”
