As the world scrambles to make sense of what has been happening since February with the sudden outbreak of COVID-19, newspapers and journalists have been on the forefront of these efforts doing what they do best- report the latest news updates, inform the public in order to keep them safe and healthy, and of course explain and analyse this unprecedented crisis.
Newspapers across the globe have been struggling to stay true to this message.
Most of these sectors have either been supported financially by governments or are in the process of getting the required support to keep them alive and avoid the wider negative impact on national economies. The media has so far not been included in the UAE’s financial stimulus packages announced recently
But they are being faced with extraordinary challenges to remain viable in the current conditions where their income has increasingly been diminishing as advertisements vanished due to the closure of most business activities as countries enforce necessary containment measures.
The consumption of news on the other hand has surged considerably as people turn to the established media to get reliable and authentic news and information.
Keeping you informed
Gulf News journalists and editors, for example, work around the clock to keep the public aware of the news and information as well as the latest government instructions as the nation battles the pandemic.
These efforts however come at a huge cost of manpower, printing, distribution, and online systems.
All business sectors around the world, including in the UAE, have been impacted by the crisis. Most of these sectors have either been supported financially by governments or are in the process of getting the required support to keep them alive and avoid the wider negative impact on national economies.
The media has so far not been included in the UAE’s financial stimulus packages announced recently. The newspapers cannot escape the economic conditions and needs to be part of this financial support badly and urgently.
Nevertheless, we will continue to do our job even as the economic challenge becomes increasingly unbearable. This is our natural role and we will continue doing in it.
Like the medical teams, the security officers and the essential services operators who are on the front line in the national campaign to contain the coronavirus outbreak, newspapers are an important part of this national effort. The nation deserves every effort as we go through this crisis together.
