Tag: covid19

‘It’s not as bad as I thought’: An examination of how the pandemic impacted news organizations in eight Midwestern states

It could have been worse. Much worse. In fact, the executive director of the Missouri Press Association expected the COVID-19 pandemic to gut a local newspaper industry already reeling from more than a decade of competition from free digital content, rising newsprint costs and circulation declines. Seven of the state’s 200 or so newspapers ceased…

Covering COVID-19: A health check for science journalism

What pulls Gary Schwitzer from sleep at 3 a.m. these days is a mixture of personal and professional worries. Personally, Schwitzer is aggrieved by his battle with board members of his homeowners association, who he said have resisted his recommendation for residents in his Twin Cities condo complex to wear masks. Professionally, it’s journalism, specifically…

Small alternative publications fight for survival in the midst of global pandemic

In early March, Salvador Robles, associate publisher of Omaha’s The Reader, was planning for just the kind of story that would resonate with the alt-monthly’s readers: the hunt for the perfect margarita. But after the coronavirus outbreak, the story turned into an article on how to make margaritas at home. The publication’s film writer produced…