The economic crisis coupled with the pandemic forced at least 60 newspapers to close their doors in the United States, in addition to three digital media, five magazines and a radio station, due to the drop in ad revenue, it published in its latest Columbia Journalism Review (CJR) problem.
In the most recent issue, the publication states that the journalistic crisis of the past year has affected digital media as well as magazines and radio and television channels, although it emphasizes that newspapers have been the most affected medium.
According to the Pew Research research center, newspapers suffered a 42% decline in ad revenue in the second quarter of 2020, a figure that contrasted, for example, with the results of the television channel Fox News, which saw its revenues increase by 41%. in the same period.
Globally, US local televisions saw their ad revenue drop 24% between April and June last year.
Also, some 160 newspapers changed their printing policies to adapt to the circumstances, in an attempt to take refuge in the digital space.
“As business models and consumer habits continue to change, news outlets struggle to balance business interests and accessibility and keep pace with a changing world,” said author Lauren Harris.
The magazine quotes The New York Times newspaper and assures that 37,000 media workers were fired permanently or temporarily or received pay cuts in 2020, a figure it considers “imperfect but well calculated.”
As an example, he cited the country’s largest newspaper chain, Gannet, editor of USA Today, among 250 other titles, in which 500 employees accepted a leave offer launched by the company last October.