Two veteran newspaper journalists told an audience of charity leaders yesterday that positive stories about the sector are unlikely to attract the attention of editors.

Andrew Pierce, consultant editor at the Daily Mail and Kevin Maguire, associate editor at the Daily Mirror, were speaking at NCVO’s Evolve conference yesterday.

When asked about how charities could improve how the sector is portrayed in the media, Pierce said: “National newspapers sell a lot of papers not by writing stories about wonderful work going on but when there is controversy.”

Maguire agreed. He said: “News is always something that is new and different.”

'Charities should defend themselves'

In response to a question about charities being attacked in the media, both journalists said that charities should address problems rather than try to ignore them.

Pierce said: “As a charity you have got to think ‘how would this look to people who support us’? Can we defend it?” And advised that: “If you think there is a problem don’t bury it, deal with it.”

Referring to recent stories in the tabloid press about chief executive pay at large charities he added that: “Some attacks are politically motivated but those salaries are very hard to justify.”

They were both of the opinion that scandals in the papers damaged individual charities and not the sector as a whole.

Maguire said: “Readers understand that nationally it is not the entire sector – it's individual charity names.”

Pierce added that: “Most people’s experience is the local charity shops where they take second hand clothes and they realise that every now and again there is going to be a screw up.”

Big Society back on the scrapheap

With a small majority the Government is unlikely to follow through on its election pledges around volunteering leave, according to Pierce.

Pierce said Conservative backbenchers fundamentally opposed the policy, because they “view it as a tax on business” and “it is not the job of the government to compel people to volunteer”.

Maguire described Rob Wilson as a “party hack” who doesn’t “know anything about the sector”.

As the government implements its planned cuts Pierce said he expected the sector to become more important "as politicians realise it is needed to pick up the pieces".

Campaigning

Pierce argued that charities should not campaign politically and avoid “shouting from the rooftops” but go through the proper channels to raise issues with politicians.

Maguire said he could see no problem with charities “doing both” to further their causes.