This social media post from the West Wimmera Advocate from 5 days ago tells a heartbreaking story for the small local publisher.
EDIT 17.8.20: We are going to print this Wednesday 19.8.20. We are still working to find a (sustainable) solution for upcoming weeks. Please note if we don’t go to print we risk losing government grants, along with jobs for staff and ourselves and most importantly – the voice for our community. Working on COVID/Border documentation as well as current edition.
ADVOCATE TO CLOSE: Unless there is some kind of miracle the next edition of the Advocate will be our last. After months of ‘soldiering on’ for the community with constantly changing restrictions, and more and more rules in order to do business, the announcement by the SA government to impose a hard border is the final straw. I don’t have the energy for negotiating a new print arrangement on top of everything else.
Sorry, but I am burnt out.I am calling on all readers both side of the border to lobby against this rule. There are no cases in the 40km zone. There have been no positives due to cross border communities in SA. It seems to be driven by a desire to reduce asymptomatic testing costs.
I don’t know if Dan Andrews can pick up the tab, Scott Morrison or anyone else. But this is going to be the final straw for families in remote Victoria who have been doing the right thing and already have Stage 3 restrictions affecting everything.EDIT:It is not just about physically collecting the paper. It is about the huge burden to provide timely, factual, useful (and interesting) information in a remote part of Victoria. After 5 months feeling like in a constantly shifting war zone, I just don’t know how I can help my readers without complete burn out. Why are rural border communities left to sort the mess alone and largely forgotten. I am sorry I am just so tired.
While one media organisation has been gifted $10M from federal government Covid funds, independent newspapers are months away from receiving anything from the loudly announced federal government support.
The biggest impact of Covid19 for regional newspapers would have to be the lost advertising revenue. Running a small newspaper would be intense at the best of times. Like running a newsagency, you can put up with long hours, working 7 days a week and all the myriad other stresses, if you’re making a good living. When you’re going backwards is when you start to question the future and burnout becomes an issue.
Jason lets hope Victoria can get it’s numbers down soon and that hard border can be lifted
Thank you Mark for drawing attention to this. It is an important issue in our local community. Your support is practical and welcome. It is meaningful.
These are the real issues. The ones we should be caring about for we are deemed essential because we are communty and there is no closer community than rural living.Their newspaper is paramount.
Good to see this getting attention for it will encourage help where needed.