Newspaper companies, mags make changes

Media companies and advocacy organizations have released updates regarding the COVID-19 crisis. Here are some of the updates that reflect trends across the industry. A few items were in the works before the crisis.

• Ogden Newspapers has set up a $1 million fund to help local businesses by subsidizing local marketing efforts through matching ad dollars, Ogden papers reported. Businesses can apply for a matching grant at ogdennews.com/community-grant. Ogden owns over 40 daily papers.

• The U.S. newspaper industry will be able to access part of the $2 trillion stimulus package that has $349 billion set aside for small businesses, the New York Post reports. But the rescue comes too late to help newsrooms that have been cutting jobs as local businesses cease buying ads, the Post said. “News advertising has plummeted between 20 and 30 percent in the past two weeks compared to a year ago, according to the International News Media Association,” the Post said.

• The U.K.’s JPI Media said it would stop printing its free papers starting this week, the Guardian and others reported.

• Black Press newspapers are making changes. “Layoffs have impacted all Black Press newspapers across the province,” wrote the Penticton Western News, in British Columbia. Starting March 26, the paper is moving to one print edition a week, as are other Black Press papers. Black Press publishes more than 170 titles in British Columbia, Alberta, Yukon and Washington state, as well as the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, the Juneau Empire and San Francisco Examiner daily papers.

• The Gazette (Janesville, Wisconsin) and other Adams Publishing Group papers are cutting employees’ work hours and making additional changes, a company official said, and the paper reported.

• On April 4, The Daily News (Galveston, Texas) will start a five-day-a-week publishing schedule with a bigger weekend edition and a new focus on digital news, the paper reported.

• After March 28, the Daily News (Bowling Green, Kentucky) will no longer publish a Saturday print edition. The Gaines family owns the paper.

• Anchorage Daily News has migrated to its NewsWayX cloud workflow. “We've had our entire copy desk putting out the paper from home,” said Mary Steiert, systems editor.

• In a mass email, The Advocate (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) is asking for donations, WAFB reports. “Simply put, we need your help,” said the mass email from Editor Peter Kovacs. “Please consider contributing to our newsroom today.” Georges Media Group owns the paper, along with other papers in the region.

• W magazine’s editor, Sara Moonves, told staff last week that many are to be furloughed at the fashion mag, The New York Times reported. Those who produce online material are to work at lower salaries.

• Esquire magazine has cut its print edition to six per year from eight, the New York Post reported. Troy Young, president of Esquire owner Hearst Magazines, said the change is not due to COVID-19, the Post reported.

• D Magazine said it has laid off 15 employees, the Dallas Morning News reported. The 67 other employees, who also work at the company’s other magazines are seeing their pay lowered.

• The Boston Globe is laying off nearly 50 employees at its Taunton mailroom and is extending offers of buyouts to 55 others, according to a union official, the Boston Business Journal reports. The plan has existed for months.

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