Local Newspapers FaceTheir Own Coronavirus Crisis

 

What Americans need most right now, is news about their towns, cities and states. But as coronavirus spreads throughout the country, local newspapers are having a difficult time.

Readers want local information. They want to know about cases in their neighborhoods, how to get tested if necessary, and which businesses are open and which are closed. Newspaper companies say online readers and subscriptions¹ have increased. Many newspapers have removed their paywall for coronavirus stories.

But newspapers and other publications³ are under financial pressure as money from advertising⁴ falls sharply⁵. They are cutting jobs, hours and pay. Some have shut down.

Readers are increasing at the Sun Chronicle, a daily newspaper in Attleboro, Massachusetts. It is working hard to cover the spread of the coronavirus. It's "all we do," said Craig Borges, who runs the paper. But, he has been forced to let go of several workers because so many local businesses are closed. The paper has about 12 people still working.

"Hopefully we can work this out and make it through," Borges said.

Small newspapers are hurting

More than 2,100 cities and towns have lost a local newspaper in the past 15 years. The Pew Research Center says that jobs in the industry have decreased by 50 percent since 2004. Many failed as readers turned to the internet for news. Then came the Great Recession⁶ of 2007-2009. In the online market, they cannot compete with Google and Facebook for advertising money.

More recently, big national newspapers like The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal⁷ have made money by asking readers to pay to read their online stories. But smaller newspapers still need money from advertising.

Twenty worldwide news publishers recently told International News Media Association⁸ (INMA) they expect a decrease of about 23 percent in advertising sales. The INMA says money from advertisements has fallen 20 to 30 percent in the last few weeks.

On Monday, the largest U.S. newspaper group, Gannett, announced 15-day furloughs and pay cuts for many employees. On Tuesday, Lee Enterprises⁹, did the same. The Tampa Bay Times cut five days of its print newspaper and announced furloughs for non-newsroom staff.

It is even more difficult for smaller newspapers.

In Nevada, Battle Born Media has six weekly newspapers that serve rural¹⁰ areas. It is decreasing or ending publication² of them all. The weekly Reno News & Review has stopped operations. All the employees lost their jobs.

Report for America is a group that gives money to reporters in local newsrooms and also to The Associated Press. It says some local newspapers have lost so much money that they may not be able to pay their reporters.

The $2.2 trillion coronavirus aid and relief act signed last month by President Donald Trump¹¹ could give money to smaller local publishers who keep their employees.

A newspaper industry group recently sent a letter to President Trump and congressional leaders. The News Media Alliance¹² said it is discussing future government bailout requests to ensure that news organizations remain independent.

Words in This Story

subscription– n.an agreement to pay a company to get a publication or service regularly

paywall– n.having to pay to see an online article

furlough– n.a period when an employee is told not to come to work and is not paid

relief– n.help or aid

bailout– n.the act of saving or rescuing a business from financial problems

1 subscriptions   

n.（报刊等的）订阅费( subscription的名词复数 )；捐款；（俱乐部的）会员费；捐助

参考例句：

• Subscriptions to these magazines can be paid in at the post office. 这些杂志的订阅费可以在邮局缴纳。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Payment of subscriptions should be made to the club secretary. 会费应交给俱乐部秘书。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 publication   

n.出版，发行；出版；公布，发表

参考例句：

• They don't think this article is suitable for publication.他们认为这篇文章不宜发表。
• The government has delayed publication of the trade figures.政府已将贸易统计数字延后公布。

3 publications   

n.发表( publication的名词复数 )；公布；出版；出版物

参考例句：

• The related publications are far too numerous to list individually. 相关出版物太多，没法一一列举。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request. 我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

5 sharply   

adj.锐利地，急速；adv.严厉地，鲜明地

参考例句：

• The plane dived sharply and rose again.飞机猛然俯冲而后又拉了起来。
• Demand for personal computers has risen sharply.对个人电脑的需求急剧增长。

6 recession   

n.（工商业的）衷退（期），萧条（期）

参考例句：

• Manufacturing fell sharply under the impact of the recession.受到经济萧条的影响，制造业急剧衰退。
• A rise in interest rates plunged Britain deeper into recession.利率的提高导致英国经济更加萧条。

7 journal   

n.日志，日记；议事录；日记帐；杂志，定期刊物

参考例句：

• He kept a journal during his visit to Japan.他在访问日本期间坚持记日记。
• He got a job as editor of a trade journal.他找到了一份当商业杂志编辑的工作。

8 association   

n.联盟，协会，社团；交往，联合；联想

参考例句：

• Our long association with your company has brought great benefits.我方和贵公司的长期合作带来了巨大的利益。
• I broke away from the association ten years ago.我10年前就脱离了那个团体。

9 enterprises   

事业( enterprise的名词复数 )； 事业心； 企[事]业单位； 企业发展

参考例句：

• In capitalist society,big enterprises always try to freeze out the smaller ones. 在资本主义社会，大企业总是千方百计地排挤小企业。
• Big transcontinental enterprises jostle with one another for world markets. 巨大的跨国公司[企业]互相争夺国际市场。

10 rural   

adj.乡下的，田园的，乡村风味的

参考例句：

• He lived a rural life.他过着田园生活。
• We left the city for a rural home.我们离开城市，去农村安家。

11 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

12 alliance   

n.同盟，同盟国，结盟，联姻

参考例句：

• China will not enter into alliance with any big power.中国不同任何大国结盟。
• The new alliance was very much in evidence.新的联盟上星期很引人注目。