Newspapers have never been more vital. Bail them out.
Good information on the coronavirus pandemic is a matter of life or death
It's time to save the news business. Like, right now.
At this still-early stage of the coronavirus crisis, the importance of good information — distributed widely and to the right people — should be self-evident. The best news organizations have helped their audiences understand and prepare for the "social distancing" requirements that state and local governments have implemented in recent days, and they have done so with remarkable nimbleness during a time of rapidly shifting conditions. Journalists have been on the front lines, holding the feet of elected officials, including President Trump, to the fire. They are beginning to bear witness to the extraordinary grief we will be sharing over the next weeks and months. And many reporters are exposing themselves to danger, venturing out into the community to cover the stories that need to be told.
It is also clear that the worst organizations — the ones apparently dedicated more to propaganda than to news — can pose a danger to their audiences. There is almost certainly a straight line between the well-documented efforts of Fox News to downplay the risks of COVID-19 and the unwillingness of many rank-and-file Republicans to grapple with the enormity of the challenge. Fox hosts have done a reversal on the topic in recent days, thank goodness, but their weeks of skepticism may end up endangering many members of the network's audience.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The pandemic comes at a moment of crisis for the news industry. The New York Times and The Washington Post may be flying high, but local and regional newspapers that reach community audiences were already on life support, shedding staff and reducing coverage. The collapse of the economy will reach into every sector of society and make it extraordinarily difficult for these publications to serve their communities.
Indeed, layoffs are already hitting local media hard. New England Newspapers Inc. on Tuesday announced a one-week furlough of its staffers, silencing its reporters at the precise moment the Massachusetts communities it serves most need to understand what is happening. Many journalists at the Military Times, tracking the virus and its effects on American national security, have reportedly also been furloughed since April 6.
"Earlier today I'd been working to create a spreadsheet to track Navy-related #covid19 cases," Navy Times reporter Courtney Mabeus tweeted on Wednesday. "I worry about the stories that will go untold. The institutions that won't get held to account, the lives endangered as a result."
This is a crisis not just for the newspapers, but for the communities that need the information they provide.
Which means amid all the bailout talk, one of the most important things the federal government should do right now is send a bunch of cash to every local and regional news organization in America — newspapers, community web sites, local radio stations, and any other news provider you can think of — to ensure they can continue serving their communities during the emergency.
And when the crisis is over, it will be time to stop talking about the "business model" for news and start talking about how news organizations provide each community with a reliable source of local information. Surely we will come to understand that news isn't a luxury — and it shouldn't be subject to the pitiless laws of the markets. The first thing most newspapers have done in the face of the crisis is to take down their online paywalls so that Americans can access necessary information about coronavirus quickly and freely.
Think about that. Is there any other product in American life that regularly becomes free when customers need it most?
There are other reasons this pandemic should reveal the need for robust local news reporting. The decline of local newspapers has made it more difficult for medical researchers to track the spread of disease. Losing newspapers means we lose part of our pandemic-fighting infrastructure. We must begin restoring it now.
Congress and the president have a lot on their plates, a lot of fires to put out. Given the antagonistic relationship that often defines the relationship between public officials and the media, it might be natural for them to let this industry slip. But if we want to fight the pandemic — and save American lives in the process — it is essential to rescue local and regional news organizations while there is still something to save.
Want more essential commentary and analysis like this delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for The Week's "Today's best articles" newsletter here.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Joel Mathis is a freelance writer who has spent nine years as a syndicated columnist, co-writing the RedBlueAmerica column as the liberal half of a point-counterpoint duo. His work also regularly appears in National Geographic, The Kansas City Star and Heatmap News. His awards include best online commentary at the Online News Association and (twice) at the City and Regional Magazine Association.
-
Labour's Brexit conundrum
The Explainer Keir Starmer backs 'twin track' strategy – build closer security ties with EU while ruling out single market, customs union and free movement
By The Week UK Published
-
6 scenic white water rafting destinations to get your heart racing
The Week Recommends Have a rip-roaring time on the water
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Dangerous substances in Lunchables are raising concerns over children's health
In the Spotlight High levels of lead and sodium were recently found in the snack packages
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Arizona court reinstates 1864 abortion ban
Speed Read The law makes all abortions illegal in the state except to save the mother's life
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump, billions richer, is selling Bibles
Speed Read The former president is hawking a $60 "God Bless the USA Bible"
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitness
In Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
By Grayson Quay Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published
-
Henry Kissinger dies aged 100: a complicated legacy?
Talking Point Top US diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner remembered as both foreign policy genius and war criminal
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Last updated
-
Trump’s rhetoric: a shift to 'straight-up Nazi talk'
Why everyone's talking about Would-be president's sinister language is backed by an incendiary policy agenda, say commentators
By The Week UK Published
-
More covfefe: is the world ready for a second Donald Trump presidency?
Today's Big Question Republican's re-election would be a 'nightmare' scenario for Europe, Ukraine and the West
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published