It’s hard to imagine an industry more poorly prepared for the arrival of a global pandemic than the media business. Even before “coronavirus” became a household word, the industry was already reeling from a series of body blows, most of them delivered by Google and Facebook and their dominance of the advertising market. Since 2008, nearly half of US newspaper journalism jobs have disappeared, according to the LA Times, leaving fewer than 38,000 reporters, photographers, and editors. Waves of layoffs have become the norm, not just for large chains like Gannett and McClatchy but for smaller papers, and even for digital giants like BuzzFeed and Vox, who at one time were seen as the future of online media. Then along came COVID-19, and with it the unprecedented shutdown of entire cities, and the erasure of huge swaths of the advertising business. For many outlets, it will likely become what media analyst Ken Doctor calls “an extinction event.” For some it already is. The LA Times profiled one example of this sad trend. Jeff VonKaenel, 69, owner of the Sacramento News & Review and sister publications in Chico and Reno, has been running weekly newspapers for almost 50 years, and has survived wildfires, recessions, and being sued by a mayor. But the extinguishing of almost all his advertising in the wake of COVID-19 left him no other choice: four days after the virus was defined as a pandemic, VonKaenel shut down his presses for the last time and laid off all 40 members of... Continue reading at 'Columbia Journalism Review'
[ Columbia Journalism Review | 2020-04-20 11:45:00 UTC ]
Lots of people have complained about the policies of the Trump administration, but Anderson, co-owner of Anderson’s Bookshops, is hoping to do something about them. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-12-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Despite the Trump Administration's proposal to eliminate virtually all federal library funding, the House yesterday passed a package of FY2018 spending bills that include full funding for libraries and the arts. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Librarians will gather in Chicago for the 2017 ALA Annual Conference amid an organizational leadership transition, and challenges from the Trump Administration. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-06-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Congressional leaders have rejected the Trump administration's proposal to eliminate money for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, according to US news reports. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-05-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Not content with its second crack of the whip with a travel ban, the Trump administration has now issued a ban on larger electronic devices being taken on flights from certain countries. Devices larger than a cell phone will not be permitted in cabin baggage but must instead be checked in. The... Continue reading at Betanews
[ Betanews | 2017-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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At the bookselling event, which took place in Atlanta on Monday, a closed-door session addressed indie booksellers' desire to potentially allow their stores to act as safe havens for groups they feel have been threatened under the Trump administration. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Once known for its beauty tips, Teen Vogue has become a powerful critic of the Trump administration. What’s behind its transformation?Charlie Knoles is a 39-year-old meditation coach and father based in California. He reads Politico, ProPublica and the Wall Street Journal, and posts on Facebook... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2017-02-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Howard Cunnell's Fathers & Sons is a memoir about a search for identity and what it is to be a man that packs a punch that belies its brevity and, despite taking us to dark places, it’s a book about all kinds of love. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-02-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Concern over the Trump administration was a central theme at the Washington D.C. event. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-02-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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AWP 2017's keynote speaker, Azar Nafisi, the author of 'Reading Lolita in Tehran,' blasted President Trump in a fiery presentation and urged writers to use their imaginations to resist the tyranny of the Trump administration. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New Press will release three edited collections this spring that will examine the recently-concluded presidential election and what likely lies ahead for the country under the Trump administration. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-01-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The federal education law ESSA, set to take effect this year, would provide critical support for school libraries if allowed to stand by the Trump administration. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-01-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sponsored and branded content have evolved into a crucial source of revenue for publishers of every stripe. Along the way, they've had to sweet-talk advertisers and get into compliance with FTC regulations, but their readers still present the highest hurdles. Large chunks of American readers... Continue reading at Digiday
[ Digiday | 2016-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The new US administration under Donald Trump could make things "very, very much worse" for authors, according to campaign group Authors United. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-12-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Spanish-language broadcaster Univision has bought Gawker Media in an auction for $135 million. That's according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified because the deal had not been formally announced. The online gossip and news publisher was put on the block in the... Continue reading at Baltimore Sun
[ Baltimore Sun | 2016-08-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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As Facebook has taken on the mantle of content distributor, news publisher and story curator, the world's biggest social media company has ventured into the territory of traditional media companies. Such moves have helped Facebook attract users and advertising dollars -- but they have also... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2016-05-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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As Facebook has taken on the mantle of content distributor, news publisher and story curator, the world's biggest social media company has ventured into the territory of traditional media companies. Such moves have helped Facebook attract users and advertising dollars -- but they have also... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2016-05-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Snapchat is adding another publisher to its Discover feature with Vox.com set to come aboard Nov. 23. It’s not the first news publisher to get a channel on the messaging app, but like BuzzFeed and Mashable, it’s arguably more mill ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-11-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Facebook launched its Instant Articles product with a select group of prestige publishers last week. Now, others, if they had any reservations before, are determined not to be left behind. Other big-name publishers including Time Inc., Hearst Magazines and CNN are expected to start publishing... Continue reading at Digiday
[ Digiday | 2015-05-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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