Coronavirus: Newspapers 'struggling to survive' pandemic

Newsquest have put a number of staff on leave under the UK government's coronavirus job retention scheme

Local newspapers are facing a "fight for survival" during the coronavirus pandemic, editors have warned.

With many older readers unable to leave the house to buy their daily papers, sales have declined during lockdown.

A fifth of staff at Reach, which produces the Daily Post and Western Mail, have been furloughed.

Meanwhile staff at Wrexham Leader-owner Newsquest have seen a pay cut during the pandemic, after what the company called a "perfect storm".

Some newspaper titles are offering free home delivery during lockdown so readers can have their local newspaper delivered safely to their door, while others have introduced paywalls to charge for certain stories online.

The decline in people buying newspapers is not new, leading to the axing of a number of local weekly and daily titles in Wales in recent years.

Offices have closed and reporters have been made redundant, as focus has shifted away from print towards delivering online content.

But recent figures, revealed by the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC), show sales of UK newspapers have fallen dramatically since the start of lockdown.

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The figures show sales of national papers plunged, with no national newspaper selling more than one million copies per day, as readers shopped less frequently once the UK went into lockdown.

ABC has now announced newspapers will no longer have their sales figures automatically published, due to concerns over a "negative narrative of decline" in newspaper sales.

Reach, formerly known as Trinity Mirror, which owns the largest number of regional newspapers in Wales, said advertising and circulation "has been impacted significantly since lockdown".

The company produces four dailies, including the Daily Post, South Wales Echo and the Western Mail, as well as Wales on Sunday, and 13 weekly newspapers in Wales.

It also runs the Wales Online and North Wales Live websites.

Since the start of lockdown a fifth of its workforce has been sent home on the UK government job retention scheme.

But Paul Rowland, editor-in-chief at Reach-owned Media Wales, said: "Our commitment to our readers during this pandemic remains absolute.

"They're coming to us in unprecedented numbers to get the latest news and information, with record online readership and a level of commitment to our print titles from their readers that has been heartening to see.

"Across the business, the way our journalists have tackled the biggest story of their generation - not to mention having to shift our entire operation to being home-based - has been inspiring."

Susan Perry says regional titles in Wales are facing a fight for survival

At the start of the lockdown, Newsquest announced it was putting a number of staff on leave under the UK government's coronavirus job retention scheme, with staff having a pay cut.

Newsquest, owns a number of Welsh regional papers including the South Wales Argus, the Western Telegraph, the Free Press series, the Tivyside Advertiser, the Penarth Times and the Barry & District News.

Staff furloughed under the scheme have been paid 80% of their salary by the government, while staff earning more than £18,000 have seen a 15% wage cut and senior managers have been required to take two weeks' unpaid leave.

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Susan Perry, Newsquest's group editor in north Wales, which produces titles such as the Wrexham Leader, said newspapers were facing a "real fight for survival".

"We totally understand that people are more reluctant to go out of the house and pick up a newspaper," she said.

Ms Perry added that funds from sales are essential for newspapers to continue to provide local journalism and called for readers to support their local titles during these challenging times.

"Local journalism is absolutely vital and we have fought for our communities for many years," she said.

"The news media industry faces a real fight for survival. We have always been there for our readers, now we need them to be there for us."