In the process of chastising protesters in North Carolina and Michigan calling for governors to reopen the economy, Greensboro reminds us his livelihood is in jeopardy too:
As for the so-called “liberal media,” hell no, we’re not rooting for the virus.
We as an industry were struggling mightily before COVID-19. This crisis only made matters worse. When businesses aren’t open, they don’t advertise. When they don’t advertise, revenue plummets. The New York Times last week devoted an entire page to the layoffs, furloughs and cutbacks at print and web media throughout the country.
Life for us ain’t been no crystal stair.
Here is the NYT’s rundown of hits media companies have taken over the last month, including –surprise–bankrupt McClatchy Co., publisher of the Charlotte Observer and the Raleigh News & Observer:
In February, before coronavirus cases rose sharply in the United States, McClatchy, whose dailies include The Kansas City Star, The Miami Herald and The Sacramento Bee, filed for bankruptcy. On Thursday, the chief executive Craig Forman said the decline in ads required a “leave of absence” for about 120 non-newsroom employees — or less than five percent of the work force, according to a spokeswoman. In addition, the company laid off four executives, and Mr. Forman will take a 50 percent pay cut.
And that doesn’t include today’s news that NPR executives are taking pay cuts “to combat the effects of the economic collapse brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.”
But if you wan to know how bad it really is, note today’s top story on the N&R website by sports columnist Ed Hardin. As I’ve written before, Hardin’s not exactly my favorite columnist, but he’s been in the trenches for quite some time, and I at least respect that. Today he’s writing about “>couples wedding dreams taking a detour in the era of coronavirus. No disrespect to couples eager to take the plunge, but I think Hardin would prefer hanging out with a bunch of sweaty jocks right now.
