Seite - 204 - in VULNERABLE - The Law, Policy and Ethics of COVID-19

VULNERABLE204 ads attracted $819 million in revenues in 2009 but only $119 mil- lion in 2015.1 The downdraught hit other forms of print advertis- ing—careers, retail, entertainment, company announcements. It also struck radio and television, with the result that companies reduced their reporting and behind-the-scenes personnel. The number of reporters and technical staff required to cover the news, let alone to analyze it, declined. Along came COVID-19. Its effects on the media were immedi- ate. Postmedia Network closed 15 community newspapers in Ontario and Manitoba, furloughed some staff, and imposed salary reductions for employees earning more than $60,000. Print and digital adver- tising had experienced “very significant” declines, the company said.2 Torstar eliminated 85 positions and cut its operating budget. The readership of The Toronto Star.com and other Torstar websites increased, but not enough to offset “substantial” declines in advertis- ing, the company explained.3 Saltwire Media, Atlantic Canada’s larg- est newspaper chain, laid off 40% of its staff and shut down all its weekly newspapers.4 The desire to consume news during the crisis was not matched by an increase in revenues. Indeed, The  Globe  and  Mail made news about the crisis free as a public service, rather than charging digital subscribers for it. Governments, it is true, helped by buying large amounts of advertising instructing citizens about the disease and what should be done to prevent its spread. But this income, although undoubtedly useful, could not staunch the flow of red ink. The COVID-19 story challenged the media beyond coping with fewer staff and reduced revenues. Few journalists have any sci- entific or medical training. Most are generalists. Some might have 1. “The Shattered Mirror: News, Democracy and Trust in the Digital Age” (January 2017), online (pdf): Public  Policy  Forum  <shatteredmirror.ca/wp-con- tent/uploads/theShatteredMirror.pdf>. 2. Aleksandra Sagan, “Postmedia to Lay Off 80 Employees, Permanently Close 15 Newspapers as COVID-19 Hits Revenue”, The  Globe  and  Mail (28 April 2020), online: <www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-postmedia-to-lay-off- 80-employees-permanently-close-15-newspapers-as>. 3. “Torstar Eliminates 85 Positions as Coronavirus Cuts into Ad Revenue”, Financial Post (7 April 2020), online: <business.financialpost.com/telecom/media/ torstar-eliminates-85-positions-as-coronavirus-cuts-into-ad-revenue>. 4. Anjuli Patil, “Atlantic Canada’s Largest Newspaper Chain Temporarily Lays Off 40% of Staff”, CBC News (24 March 2020), online: <www.cbc.ca/ news/canada/nova-scotia/saltwire-network-announces-temporary-layoffs- covid-19-1.5508396>.