Making A Difference

Making a Difference is a showcase of agenda-setting investigations, campaigns and scoops from national, regional and local news brands demonstrating the power of original news content.

The annual Making a Difference award sees members of the public vote for their favourite campaign from the past year during Journalism Matters week, the NMA’s campaign to highlight the immense value journalism creates for our society.

The award shines a spotlight on the powerful role newspapers play in driving real-world change – championing local causes, holding decision-makers to account and amplifying the voices of communities across the UK. Shortlisted titles are encouraged to mobilise support from readers and stakeholders, bringing these campaigns to an even wider audience.

91 per cent of the public agreed that local news media improve communities by campaigning on issues that matter to residents.

Last year’s winners for Making a Difference were the i Paper for its investigation ‘Second Post Office IT Scandal’, and the Courier and its sister title, the Press and Journal, for its campaign, Trapped by RAAC.

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  • Save Our Flights

    Save Our Flights

    The Shetland Times and Inverness Courier joined forces to launch…

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  • Go Back To The Drawing Board

    Go Back To The Drawing Board

    The Derby Telegraph launched a campaign to “save £60m of…

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  • Dual the A1 and Save Lives

    Dual the A1 and Save Lives

    The A1 is the principal route connecting London and Edinburgh,…

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  • Giving A Voice To A Vulnerable Pupil

    Giving A Voice To A Vulnerable Pupil

    When the family of an autistic pupil approached the Dunfermline…

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  • Holly’s Law

    Holly’s Law

    The Lincolnshire Free Press and its associated LincsOnline website led…

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  • End the Graduate Rip-Off

    End the Graduate Rip-Off

    The Sunday Times launched its campaign, End the Graduate Rip-Off,…

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  • TEWV NHS Foundation Trust Scandal

    TEWV NHS Foundation Trust Scandal

    When families raised concerns about avoidable deaths and serious incidents…

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  • Mandelson Vetting Scandal

    Mandelson Vetting Scandal

    By revealing that senior officials overruled national security warnings to…

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  • Refugees Are Welcome Here

    Refugees Are Welcome Here

    In August 2025, The National dedicated a week of coverage…

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