We’re thrilled to welcome Newsquest to the Viafoura community, officially rolling out Viafoura’s suite of engagement tools across more than 200 of the UK’s most trusted local news sites.
As one of the UK’s largest regional media groups, Newsquest’s network of 250+ news brands, magazines, and trade publications reaches 41 million digital readers monthly. With such a large and loyal audience, the team at Newsquest set out to improve how communities connect and converse around the journalism that matters most.
Led by Julian Thorpe, senior product manager, Newsquest was on a mission to:
✅ Reduce toxicity in the comments section
✅ Empower journalists to see comments as a tool for audience engagement, not just a complaints inbox
✅ Build a better, more scalable experience for both readers and newsroom teams
“These days, the social aspect of news is almost as important as the content itself ... It’s not enough to just find out what’s happening; it’s also essential to know how others in our communities are responding to the events that shape our lives.”
Julian ThorpeSenior Product Manager
To support this, Newsquest has rolled out Viafoura’s engagement suite, including real-time Conversations, live comment counters, a notification tray for user alerts and community building, and full-service moderation powered by both AI and human moderators.
From onboarding to go-live, the process was designed for speed, simplicity, and support.
“The Viafoura team has always been friendly and helpful and quick to respond to our questions,” adds Thorpe. “Their tools and documentation made it easy to integrate into our existing systems.”
The results we’re working toward together:
✔ Fewer problematic comments and reader complaints
✔ More newsroom time focused on engaging with loyal commenters
✔ Higher comment quality and conversation volume
✔ Increased registrations and on-site engagement
“Newsquest plays a vital role in strengthening local journalism and civic discourse across the UK,” says Mark Zohar, CEO of Viafoura. “We’re proud to partner with a publisher so deeply rooted in community connection, and excited to help transform how their readers and journalists engage meaningfully and respectfully online.”
Looking forward to the journey ahead!