Local newspapers in the time of pandemic: Online views on the rise while sales decline

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The coronavirus epidemic has deeply affected local newspapers. Their circulation and ad revenues have significantly decreased. Also, some journalists working at local newspapers had to quit their jobs due to various concerns. Because of the increase in clicks and views in digital media these days when people stay at home, ideas of new formations have developed among local newspapers.

Pointing out that the importance of local newspapers was once again understood during the epidemic days, local newspaper managers say that they have experienced difficulties with the transition to the home office system. They also emphasize that the importance of being unionized is understood nowadays.

"Local news has become important"

The importance of local newspapers has been understood during the epidemic, according to Yağız Bulut, the managing editor of İz newspaper in the western İzmir province.

People follow what is happening around them from local newspapers and take precautions, he said. "Because the central government is not transparent and there is a situation open to manipulation, the first place people look at is their living spaces."

"People who never read local newspapers have started to follow the news on them. People want to learn the situation about hospitals, health centers and social life around them. At this point, the importance of local newspapers has been understood once again," he noted.

However, he said, the wholesale of newspapers decreased because municipalities, companies affiliated with them and unions were not working as they did before the pandemic. Therefore, they were having financial difficulties as their advertisement revenues have decreased, two journalists have lost their jobs and the number of pages has been reduced from 12 to eight, he said.

On the other hand, the news is most followed on the internet and their hits have increased, Barut noted. "During the period when the outbreak was intense, our views and clicks increased significantly. Perhaps there has been an increase of 10 times or 20 times compared to the past."

"When we thought about what we could do differently, we embarked on setting up a television. There is no frequency at the moment, we will do it on social media.

"A support network should be established for local media. A transparent and fair media should be created in an environment where advertisements are poured into partisan newspapers and municipal resources are transferred only on newspapers that are the voice of the government."

Circulations have decreased, clicks are on the rise

Kocaeli Newspaper's managing editor Mesut Akbulut said their circulation has dropped by 75 percent since the beginning of the outbreak while their pageviews on the internet have significantly increased.

"When the workplaces are closed, we have also had problems with distribution to subscribers. Because of coronavirus, people have become afraid of receiving newspapers by hand," he said and added that their advertising revenues have dropped drastically.

Managers of six newspapers in Kocaeli city have agreed to publish two newspapers a day, alternating between one another during the pandemic, he noted.

"While the daily number of individual entries to our website was around 35 to 40 thousand before the coronavirus, this number reached 125 thousand a day on curfew days.

"Upon this development, we have employed a second employee on the internet. We decided to make our website stronger. According to the developments, we are thinking about employing a third person as well

"When the official ads were cut during the outbreak, the monthly income of the newspapers also decreased. The Press Advertisement Institution, which is a state institution, could have fixed the amount of money it was given to newspapers before the outbreak. Therefore, the newspapers wouldn't have financial difficulties."

"Working from home increased the workload and expenditures"

Working from home because of the epidemic has increased the workload of employees, said Engin Korkmaz, the managing editor of Körfez newspaper in the southern Antalya province and the chair of the Antalya Modern Journalists' Association.

"The work has been done 80 percent from home and 20 percent on the field. After we have switched to the home working system, we have covered most of our expenses. Energy, air conditioning, computers, food and drinks ave brought extra costs," he said.

"Also, the concept of working time has disappeared. Because we are at home 24 hours, we have been asked to produce news on the internet at any moment," Korkmaz added.

The lack of an "internet media law"

He also noted that advertising revenues and circulations decreased because many workplaces were closed. "Concerned about virus infection from newspapers, people didn't want to buy newspapers. Distribution has been suspended."

"Before the pandemic, the Körfez newspaper had 600 subscribers, we had 500 to 600 sales from sellers. However, we are currently at zero due to the halt of the distribution network and newspapers have stopped to be delivered to sellers.

"We have seen in the days of coronavirus that print newspapers are at the point of death. We think that switching to digital is a must. However, the lack of a law on the internet media shows us that a healthy and safe system cannot be established."

He said that internet journalists should also be able to receive a "yellow press card," which is issued by the presidency's communications directorate. Also, they should have an address and be registered at trade chambers, according to Korkmaz.

He also noted that they felt the importance of being unionized and organized. "These days we have been alone because we have worked from home and we had no support. We have been obliged to do whatever the boss says. During the days we spent at home, we understood better the difficulty of an unorganized life. Journalists need to gather under one roof. We have to act jointly and unionize. In these conditions, we can work much more comfortably and healthily. We call on [journalists] for an organized struggle." (NK/EKN/VK)