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Shalene White • The Madill Record Megan Moss is a 16-year-old from Kingston who loves to read newspapers and writing. She joined the contest specifically to win the subscription.
The Madill Record held an essay contest in early January. The essay topic was “how has the newspaper affected me during the pandemic.” The winner of the contest receives their picture and essay in the paper, and a complimentary year’s subscription to The Madill Record. Megan Moss, a 16-year-old from Kingston was the winner.
Her essay is as follows:
The newspaper affected me during the pandemic by keeping me up to date. Even though The Madill Record originated in 1895, it’s still going strong today with a pandemic. More than 1,800 newspapers have folded since the internet became a prime source for news during COVID-19, and The Madill Record has continued to produce weekly newspapers to keep people up to date in these difficult times.
More than 30 newspapers have already closed across the US since the pandemic began. Advertising revenue could decline by 45% bythe fourth quarter of 2021, according to FTI Consulting, a management consulting firm. Relief funding from the federal government is one potential salve for those financial wounds, but so far, news outlets have struggled to gain access to such funds.
In many ways, the industry’s future seems bleak. Finding a sizable audience has not been a problem for publishers. Hunger for news in a time of crisis has sent droves of readers to many publications. But with businesses paused or closed and no longer willing or able to pay for advertisements, a crucial part of the industry’s support system has cracked. With The Madill Record, though, there remain glimmers of hope.
The news media business was shaky before the coronavirus started spreading across the country last year. Since then, the economic downturn that put 30 million Americans out of work has led to pay cuts, layoffs and shutdowns at many news outlets, including weeklies like The Stranger in Seattle, and digital empires like Vox Media and Gannett, the nation’s largest newspaper chain.
An estimated 37,000 employees of news media companies in the United States have been laid off, furloughed or had their pay reduced since the arrival of the coronavirus. With The Madill Record, it’s a bit different, as they have adapted to not only producing their newspapers that you can buy and have on paper, but as well as having their news online for quick and easy access, anytime and anywhere.
Although The Madill Record has been around for a long time, and has adapted to changes, it is clear to see that it’s not going anywhere anytime soon, and it will continue to supply its customers with weekly news and unforgettable articles.