'It is seven weeks since Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the United Kingdom into lockdown. Throughout this crisis, independent journalists and news publishers have continued to work on the front line, not only reporting on the pandemic, but also directly supporting relief efforts. But they have not received a scrap of support from the Government.
Early in the crisis, the Public Interest News Foundation (PINF) surveyed independent news publishers. We found that they are going way beyond traditional journalism in their response to the crisis: co-ordinating volunteers, collating home delivery services and providing a forum for citizens to engage with their local authorities.
We also found how badly these small publishers are suffering. 94% believe that the crisis will have a negative impact on their organisations, and 75% are afraid that they will be forced to close as a result.'
This is an extract from an article originally published by the Ethical Journalism Network (EJN) on 12/05/20. Read the full piece on the EJN website, here.