Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, newspapers across the country have cut publication days and laid off or furloughed employees in response to strained finances.
A newspaper’s two main income streams, subscriptions and advertising, have been declining for years.
Steve Key is the executive director of the Hoosier State Press Association. He says the pandemic has pressured an already struggling industry.
“Just today I found out we’ve had a couple more papers that have shut their doors," Key says. "That’s about six since the pandemic has started that have completely ceased operations.”
Key says demand for news is up during the pandemic but many local papers can’t afford to remain open.
He says he’s seen more furloughs than layoffs recently because many newspapers went through a round of layoffs right before the pandemic started.
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