This post will provide a continuing overview of the companies and events that are victims of the coronavirus pandemic. Send your info to larrycoffman@frontier.com for inclusion here.
• Premier Media Group: Thanks to publisher Josh Dunn for his upbeat response regarding his stable of glossy monthly magazines—425, 425 Business, South Sound and South Sound Business.
“Certainly, these times are unprecedented! Our firm made quick strides and quick pivots in the first week of March. We created emergency activation levers to pull, based on responses with our market. First and foremost, our mission to be a ‘Breath of Fresh Air’ could not be more relevant. We quickly changed our content and tone to be market sensitive in helping our community get healthier in this crisis. Crisis appears to be creating some clarity.
We also looked at how we quickly can help our community by posting immediate content on our websites around how leaders are pivoting and making meaningful impacts. We are accommodating our clients’ needs and focus accordingly. Interesting to see some new verticals popping up!
Operationally, we’re creating and building our brands in a remote setting that is proving to work. We’re preserving cash flow, as well as furloughing some teammates. Our sales and leadership teams took pay cuts as well. We are all in, to do whatever it takes to STAY the COURSE.
Oh yeah: WE ARE NOT cutting print and doing digital only. STAY the COURSE!”
• Print Media.: Print publications across the region are suffering from the impacts of the pandemic and none moreso perhaps than Sound Publishing Inc., which—until recently— had more than 600 employees and 49 newspaper titles in Washington state and Alaska.
The week of March 23, Sound temporarily furloughed 98 of its now 400+ employees in 36 locations around the Puget Sound region, Eastern Washington and Alaska. Sound also will suspend publication of 13 of its now 43 newspaper titles. All websites will remain in operation.
Josh O’Connor, president of Canadian-based Sound Publishing, said, “In good times and bad we’ve been here to provide valuable, reliable information that people have come to expect. Today, that bond has been severely tested. With the seemingly overnight shutdown, our local business community has acutely felt the loss of its customers. And it’s no secret that journalism faces the same economic pressures. We, too, are a local business that relies on local retail revenue from thriving business on Main Street.
“We have a talented team of six veteran reporters and editors who will continue to cover the Eastside markets where we have suspended print distribution.”
O’Connor sent a recent message to Sound’s Daily Everett Herald readers, appealing for donations. He said, “Advertisers large and small are melting away as you read this. We will do our best, but without local advertising revenue, The Daily Herald cannot survive. I cannot stress enough the peril that we are facing.”
And the weekly Westside Seattle ran this colorful house ad (at right), asking readers to consider contributing to the paper, in its April 2 edition.
The April 2 issue of the Woodinville Weekly was down from 12 to eight pages—considered the absolute minimum for a weekly paper.
The Seattle Times has not suffered layoffs and is not expected to, according to President Alan Fisco. [Notably, several sports reporters have been reassigned, with the cancellation of virtually all sports.] Fisco pointed out that 63% of the Times’ revenue now comes from subscribers. He added that digital subscribers also are growing “dramatically.”
It also was reported that The Stranger laid off 18 employees on March 13 and suspended its biweekly print publication. The good news is that The Stranger’s blog has seen an 84% increase in readership over the last three weeks, compared with the same period a year ago. https://www.npr.org/2020/03/27/822428352/pandemic-threatens-local-papers-even-as-readers-devour-their-coverage
Nicole Vogel, publisher of Seattle Met, said advertising revenues “have fallen off of a cliff.” As a result, the monthly magazine’s editorial staff of eight has been moved to part-time.
And the April edition of The Bellingham Business Journal will be it’s last. The monthly newspaper was founded by Al Raines, owner of Raines Publishing, in November of 1992.
A message to readers said, “Significantly decreased advertising revenue, directly resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak, has forced us to make the incredibly difficult decision to discontinue publishing The Bellingham Business Journal.
“As Whatcom County has seemingly shut down overnight with the spreading coronavirus pandemic, our local business community has acutely felt the loss of its customers and its community. It’s no secret that journalism faces the same economic pressures because we, too, are a local business that relies on local retail revenue from thriving businesses on main street.”
And this is from Oregon: https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2020/04/oregon-newspapers-stop-printing-cut-jobs-and-hours-amid-coronavirus-crisis.html
• ADDY Awards: The American Advertising Awards that were to take place March 26 (the same night as opening of the Mariners’ baseball season) were cancelled. Meanwhile, AAF Seattle is working on a digital alternative to be released in early April, along with a complete digital winners book. All other club activities for April and May will also be following digital-first formats to allow for social distancing to keep the advertising community healthy and safe.
• Emmy Awards: Due to the spread of coronavirus and public health concerns, the April 3rd Emmy Nomination parties for all of the Northwest have been cancelled. Nominees will be posted on the http://www.natasnw.org. website as soon as they are available. No decision has been made on the June 5 Silver Circle and June 6 Emmy Awards galas. Meanwhile, NATAS is looking for panelists to judge entries. Go to the website for further information.
• Golf: Knowing how many in our marcomm community are golfers, we felt compelled to include this item: The Governor’s office has sent the following response to Troy Andrew, CEO/ED of Washington Golf, about whether golf courses may remain open during the current statewide “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” directive:
“Thank you for your inquiry. Under Proclamation 20-25, neither the operation nor enjoyment of a golf course qualifies as an essential business or activity. Only minimum basic operations, as described in (3)(d) of the Proclamation, are permitted. Course maintenance is also permitted insofar as it prevents imminent damage to the fairways, greens and other outdoor amenities. Please know that we take this decision very seriously. Nonetheless, we believe that the best way to control the spread of COVID-19 is to temporarily limit interaction as much as possible. This is not an indictment on the importance of golf, nor is it permanent.”