The coronavirus pandemic presents the greatest threat to the global news industry since the 2008 economic crash.
At the same time, our industry has never been more vital. With fake news proliferating on social media, access to quality news and information can be a matter of life and death.
Read all our coverage on coronavirus and the news industry:
Fight the Infodemic
- Fight the Infodemic: Press Gazette launches campaign as thousands voice concern over spread of Covid-19 conspiracies on social media
- Cash for conspiracies: How David Icke, ‘alternative’ media and tech giants make money from coronavirus conspiracies
- Social media giants fail to tackle 90% of Covid-19 misinformation – new study
- Youtube accused of ‘actively promoting misinformation’ as MPs grill social media giants on Covid-19 infodemic
- Doctors warn Covid-19 misinformation is harming patients as they call for infodemic crackdown
- Survey reveals people who get news from Facebook and Youtube more likely to breach lockdown and spread Covid-19
- ‘Coronavirus misinformation on social media is costing lives’: Doctors plead for help over Covid-19 falsehoods
- Doctors’ group backs Press Gazette Infodemic campaign: ‘Tsunami of falsehoods on Covid-19 is making us helpless’
Coronavirus Journalism Excellence
- The best exclusive news coverage of the pandemic so far
- Best investigative journalism of the coronavirus crisis revealed
- Top examples of breaking news and live blogs
- Best data journalism of the pandemic so far
- Best Covid-19 editorial innovations
- Best podcasts of the coronavirus pandemic so far
- Best comment and opinion journalism of the crisis so far
Interviews
- New Statesman’s Jason Cowley on editing in the age of pandemic
- Channel 4 News presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy says broadcasters are failing to find and promote diverse talent
- ITV’s Mary Nightingale on coping with ‘relentless grimness’ of Covid-19 story
- Time Out chief Julio Bruno explains how title survived lockdown and reveals regular return to print
- HSJ editor Alastair McLennan: ‘Journalism has risen to the challenge’
- Time editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal interview: ‘It is a truly, truly a sobering, challenging time in journalism’
- Jon Snow: There’s been a ‘fair amount of bullshit which needed probing’ during the pandemic
- Guardian head of investigations Paul Lewis
- Channel 4 editor-at-large Dorothy Byrne: Covid-19 crisis could be ‘new beginning’ for politicians and journalists working together
- Snapchat and the news industry: How youth platform is working with publishers to provide trusted news on Covid-19
- Politico editor-in-chief: Coronavirus cuts? No, we’re still thinking about expansion
- Washington Post digital editor on TikTok, Jeff Bezos and using ‘experiences’ – not articles – to attract subscribers
- BBC’s Fergus Walsh: Anxiety from covering coronavirus ‘really quite bad at one point’
- The Stage acting as ‘community glue’ for theatre industry amid Covid-19 shutdown, says editor
- How travel media is coping with Covid-19: ‘Not making any money is quite liberating’
- Insider editor-in-chief Nicholas Carlson says news outfits that can survive Covid-19 crisis will later thrive
- New York Times boss Mark Thompson on why his title is still expanding despite coronavirus
- Ladbible’s head of content on site’s role during Covid-19 crisis
- Head of Talksport Lee Clayton on running a sports radio station while no sport is going on (video interview)
- Independent health editor Shaun Lintern on covering coronavirus
Comment and Analysis
- In memoriam: Remembering journalism industry colleagues who died of Covid-19
- How the Daily Mail went from newsroom to ‘Zoom rooms’ to defy the Covid-19 crisis
- Journalism after Covid-19: ‘It’s not an extinction-level event’
- BBC Two should clear its schedule for live educational programming during Covid-19 crisis
- The awkward lessons of my privileged lockdown in Sussex
- Covid-19 crisis drives more than a million new digital subs for leading news providers
- Journalists and social distancing: Time to tackle hypocrisy of media scrums
- What the Daily Mail can teach news businesses about how to survive a pandemic
- YouTube broadcasts Covid-19 conspiracies to millions: Press Gazette probe prompts removal of videos after weeks online
- BBC was biggest news website globally in early April as new figures suggest interest in Covid-19 has peaked
- Coronavirus and Google: Guardian outranks WHO, NHS, BBC and government on search
- News publishers have raised at least £7m so far to help fight coronavirus
- Sports journalists share fears Covid-19 cuts could be permanent as industry weakened
- It’s now or never: What advertisers, Government, readers and big tech must do to support the news industry
- Science Media Centre chief: ‘Heart-breaking that cuts to journalism come at a time when it is needed more than ever‘
- Mail Online publisher Martin Clarke: ‘How we rise to challenge of covering pandemic will define our careers’
- Former FT editor Lionel Barber’s coronavirus crisis-management lessons from 2008
- Advice from Pulse editor on how to cover coronavirus pandemic
- How news industry is rising to the challenge in Italy
- UK Government calls for responsible reporting
- ‘Absolutely brutal’: At least 1,000 newspapers and other publications across US face cutbacks due to Covid-19
- Charted: How Covid-19 has wiped £15bn off the value of leading news businesses
- More than 2,000 newspaper jobs hit as hundreds of publications across UK face Covid-19 cuts, Press Gazette research shows
- Press Gazette survey reveals devastating impact three months of lockdown would have on news media industry
- Charted: Google News data suggests reader interest in coronavirus has already peaked
- Insights and tips: What we’ve learned so far (as of 24 March)
Latest news
3 September
21 August
18 August
14 August
10 August
6 August
5 August
- Demand for news drove surge in TV viewing at start of UK lockdown, Ofcom finds
- Google enables Covid-19 disinformation sites to make money, report finds
4 August
Newsrooms eye permanent change to working practices after Covid-19 lockdown
30 June
24 June
22 June
19 June
- Pamco: Monthly mags fare better than weeklies under lockdown with some big audience gains
- ABCs: National newspapers show signs of recovery from Covid-19 circulation slump
18 June
17 June
- Newsbrands made huge gains in mobile, tablet and desktop audiences as Covid-19 hit UK (Comscore figures in full)
- Nancy Pelosi: Social media bosses have ‘utterly failed’ to combat Covid-19 disinformation
- Covid-19 prompts record digital audience for UK national press with 6.6m extra daily readers
16 June
- Covid-19 has prompted boom for TV news, dip in media trust worldwide and surge in misinformation – 2020 Digital News Report
11 June
- Newsgathering abroad is not among essential work exempt from 14-day quarantine restrictions says Home Office
- News UK warns of job cuts as it transitions to ‘digital future’ under Covid-19
9 June
- Dennis Publishing to cut more than 60 jobs after ad and event revenues hit by coronavirus
- Employment lawyer says BBC wrong not to furlough PAYE freelance journalists
- Racing Post warns of redundancies after print title returns from Covid-19 hiatus
8 June
- ‘Forgotten’ PAYE freelances plead for Government support as Covid-19 crisis reaches three-month mark
- Telegraph follows Spectator to pay back furlough money after subscriptions reach 500,000
- London Live avoids being fined or losing licence over David Icke coronavirus interview
4 June
27 May
- Google and Facebook share prices recover from Covid-19 slump while ad-reliant publishers struggle
- Press regulator says social distancing a matter for police after Cummings media scrum complaints
26 May
- News industry set for £50m-a-year boost from VAT cut on digital publications
- Guardian reporter behind Cummings’ Durham journey scoop ‘riled’ by aide’s attack on media
22 May
- Future tripled half-year pre-tax profits before Covid-19 hit newstrade and events
- Tony Hall says BBC doing ‘all we can’ to support PAYE freelancers impacted by Covid-19
- Save The News: Local journalists across US plead for financial aid to curb Covid-19 ‘devastation’
21 May
- National newsbrand ABCs: Sales slump during UK lockdown
20 May
- BBC faces £125m in lost income over Covid-19 as it reveals surging audience for news coverage
19 May
- Digital revenue for UK news publishers was already down in 2019 – before Covid-19 crisis hit
- Ex-Evening Express photographer Doug Carnegie dies of Covid-19
18 May
- Nicola Sturgeon voted ‘most impressive politician’ during Covid-19 crisis by Press Gazette readers
- Sky News claims ‘live TV news first’ with programme staffed entirely from home
- Bauer to close, merge or sell ten magazines as Covid-19 ‘accelerates trends’
Nick Stylianou, Sky News senior producer working remotely on Life After Lockdown. Picture: Sky News
14 May
- Fresh spending and pay cuts at FT despite 50,000 new sign-ups during Covid-19 crisis
- Midland News Association puts 90 jobs at risk of redundancy
13 May
- Government media operation during Covid-19 pandemic rated as poor or very poor by most Press Gazette readers
- Covid-19 conspiracy videos warning against facemasks and vaccination removed by Youtube after Press Gazette investigation
12 May
- Everyone can play part to stop spread of coronavirus misinformation – Reuters head of UGC
11 May
7 May
- Furloughed regional journalist lobbied MP to keep reporting
- Reach accelerates digital drive as revenue fell 30% in April under Covid-19 crisis
- STV News puts anchors on furlough as broadcaster alters coverage for pandemic
STV News presenters John MacKay and Kelly Ann Woodland
5 May
1 May
30 April
29 April
- Daily Mail flies £1m worth of PPE supplies from China to Heathrow as it launches Mail Force charity push
- Four out of ten Press Gazette readers say lockdown working has harmed their mental health
- More BBC news teams reach equal on-air gender representation despite Covid-19 crisis
28 April
- Coronavirus and Google: Guardian outranks WHO, NHS, BBC and government on search
- Hacked Off founders share false claims Daily Express front page was faked
A tweet sharing false claims about the Daily Express front page picture showing crowds on Brighton seafront despite Covid-19 lockdown
24 April
- Advertising forecasts: News websites face ‘unprecedented’ digital ad decline as Covid-19 halts years of growth
- Journalists can now get tested for coronavirus as scheme expands to all key workers
- Press photographers face threats and violence from public in covering Covid-19 lockdown
23 April
- Covid-19 ad slump costing Independent six-figures in lost revenue as it furloughs staff and cuts pay
22 April
- Poll: Most say journalists not doing good job of holding govt to account during daily Covid-19 briefings
- Cabinet Office rebutting 70 false coronavirus claims per week since outbreak began
21 April
- Metro continues to print at a loss to serve UK’s key workers still commuting
20 April
- Ofcom sanctions London Live over ‘potentially harmful’ David Icke interview on coronavirus
David Icke. Picture: London Live
17 April
- News UK asks staff to take unpaid leave + FT warns of multi-million revenue gap
- Former Evening Standard production editor Brian Hood dies of coronavirus aged 67
- Google waives Ad Manager fees to help news companies deal with Covid-19
16 April
- National newspaper ABCs: Print sales hold during coronavirus outbreak before UK lockdown
15 April
- Google opens relief fund to local news publishers during coronavirus outbreak
- Guardian group takes action to protect business in face of £20m half-year revenue shortfall
14 April
- Ofcom assessing Eamonn Holmes’ comments on 5G coronavirus conspiracy after 419 complaints
- Press Gazette poll shows half believe trust in journalism has fallen since Covid-19 outbreak
9 April
- Times, FT and WaPo discover ‘real appetite’ for data-driven visual journalism on coronavirus
- Five in every six BBC News articles devoted to Covid-19 while B2B coverage varies by sector, analysis shows
- Ofcom launches investigation into London Live’s TV interview with conspiracy theorist David Icke
- More people turning to national media during Covid-19 lockdown, Ofcom research shows
8 April
- Coronavirus crisis forces Jewish Chronicle and Jewish News into liquidation
- UK broadcasters reaching record audiences during coronavirus crisis
7 April
- FT and Reach titles hit new online records with coronavirus coverage
- Six in ten want more Government support for local newspapers, Press Gazette reader poll shows
6 April
- Action urged after ‘crackpot theories’ linking 5G and coronavirus grow
- Mail and Metro staff offered shares in DMGT in exchange for wage cuts to avoid furlough
- Traffic uplift no compensation for loss of ad revenue, says head of mag publisher’s body PPA
- Mirror publisher Reach furloughs nearly 1,000 employees to mitigate Covid-19 impact
3 April
- Archant furloughs ‘small number’ of staff as local publishers hit by pandemic
- Mirror publisher Reach furloughs nearly 1,000 employees to mitigate Covid-19 impact
2 April
- Music mag Kerrang halts publication for three months as distribution ‘virtually impossible’
1 April
- US publishers face collapse ‘within weeks’ as Covid-19 adds to ‘duopoly’ woes
- JPI Media puts 350 staff on furlough to ‘control costs’ during pandemic
- Standard furloughs staff, cuts salaries and suspends ES Magazine as ad revenue falls
31 March
- The fake news epidemic: Twitter and Facebook failing to contain Covid-19 misinformation
- BBC voted best broadcaster for Covid-19 updates in Press Gazette reader poll
- City AM staff put on furlough and digital edition suspended during Covid-19 pandemic
- PA to furlough sports journalists to ‘mitigate financial impact’ of Covid-19
30 March
- Former NatMags chief exec Terry Mansfield dies aged 81 after contracting coronavirus
Terry Mansfield has died aged 81 after contracting coronavirus
- Education Secretary says local papers playing ‘vital’ role in outbreak and home deliveries should continue
27 March
- How China’s Covid-19 information war with US could be costing lives
- Google ‘inadvertently funding’ coronavirus conspiracy websites
- Coronavirus crisis could force closure of ‘most’ hyperlocal news publishers within weeks
- Mag publisher Future temporarily cuts back freelance budgets during pandemic
26 March
- Freelances to be given cash grants by Government to support them during Covid-19 crisis
- Journalists praise courts for remote open justice during coronavirus crisis
- BBC News boss tells viewers coverage will ‘look a bit different’ during pandemic
25 March
- JPI Media suspends local print titles as advertising plummets during pandemic
- BBC News puts restructure threatening 450 jobs on hold for Covid-19 crisis
- RSF claims press freedom in China could have helped avoid Covid-19 pandemic
24 March
- Marketers urged to ‘back don’t block British journalism’ as Covid-19 hits online advertising
- Newsquest puts staff on furlough and cuts wages to ‘minimise job losses’ during pandemic
- Publishers offer free delivery as newsagents classed ‘essential’ businesses
23 March
- Time Out and Stylist free magazines go digital-only as readers stay home
- Big Issue faces ‘permanent death’ without financial support during coronavirus crisis, founder warns
20 March
- Government gives ‘key worker’ status to all journalists reporting on coronavirus pandemic
- City AM suspends print and cuts salaries as coronavirus hits business
- Coronavirus: Newspapers in Italy and Hong Kong to print on despite advertising drops
- Public distrust journalists despite relying on news media for daily coronavirus updates, survey shows
- Evening Standard to deliver to homes for first time in battling impact of coronavirus
19 March
- LBC political editor Theo Usherwood hospitalised with suspected coronavirus
- Coronavirus: Calls for better financial support as freelance work diaries ‘wiped out’
- Twitter to remove tweets sharing fake claims about coronavirus
18 March
17 March
- Question Time to broadcast without audience as other shows taken off air at BBC amid coronavirus
- Coronavirus leads to ‘staggering demand’ for trusted TV news
- Free newspapers face possible print circulation collapse as commuters stay home to halt coronavirus spread
- Government delay over coronavirus ‘fake news’ unit questioned by media committee chairman
16 March
- Coronavirus: Conde Nast and Irish Times staff members test positive for Covid-19
- Press Gazette reader poll shows 51 per cent don’t think coronavirus poses serious threat to news industry
- Government to begin holding daily press briefings on coronavirus
13 March
12 March
- BBC news services could be ‘pared back’ if coronavirus hits staff, says director-general
- Coronavirus: News UK cleaning communal areas every 30 minutes after Times journalist tests positive
11 March
10 March
- Coronavirus outbreak impacts Informa B2B events worth £425m
- NHS enlists help of social media platforms to tackle coronavirus ‘fake news’
- Daily Star tells readers ‘we’ve got your back(side)’ amid coronavirus outbreak as it prints emergency loo roll
9 March
4 March
3 March
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