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Coronavirus: Media update 06/08/20

As Coronavirus continues to wreak havoc across the UK, successfully navigating the pandemic remains firmly at the top of everyone’s agenda. We’ve seen local lockdowns, continued redundancies and multiple new cases still being reported daily, resulting in increasingly challenging times across the board.

In recent weeks, we’ve seen prominent consumer brands like Wetherspoons, Selfridges, Boots, John Lewis, Rolls Royce, and Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza owner, LGH Hotels announce mass redundancies, as the pandemic leaves a lasting impact on the UK’s hospitality, leisure and retail sectors.

However it’s not all doom and gloom, as we’ve seen some industries, like manufacturing, show promising signs of bouncing back. We’ve also seen a resurgence in success stories, which is the inspiration behind our latest blog series #ComeBackStronger.

As part of the series, over the next few months, we will be profiling business leaders, journalists and industry experts on the notion of ‘coming back to stronger.’ We’ll be uncovering how they’re accelerating company growth, what’s keeping them optimistic and key learnings they’re taking onboard to set themselves up for success post-pandemic. Keep up-to-date with all things #ComeBackStronger here.

In recent weeks, we have of course continued to keep our ear to the ground on all things media too and, while navigating the media landscape amidst COVID continues to present challenges, it is possible to still get your story out there. Below you’ll find a roundup of recent news, updates and insights, based on continued conversations with our contacts.

Changing media landscape

  • The Guardian announced plans to cut 180 jobs after a £25m revenue drop, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, which has resulted in an ‘unstable financial outlook’ for newspaper
  • Yorkshire Evening Post and Lancashire Post announced plans to go behind a paywall to generate increased revenue and further focus its commitment on “independent, high quality journalism”
  • Immediate Media is planning to cut up to 113 jobs and close 12 magazines after the COVID-19 crisis badly hit newsstand sales and advertising revenue. The craft, homes and specialist titles set to close with their next planned issue are: Cross Stitch Crazy; Cross Stitch Gold; EKBB (Essential Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom); EKBB Business; KBB Daily (online); Card Making and Papercraft; and In the Moment
  • BBC announced plans to cut its ‘tea-time’ Newsround TV bulletin after almost 50 years, as it shifts its focus to more online coverage. The changes will take effect from the start of the new school term in September and will also see the two morning bulletins reduced to one extended bulletin

This week’s popular angles

  • How organisations are bouncing back is increasingly piquing media interest, as well as case studies on those who sought opportunities to expand into new markets during the pandemic and have thrived in doing so. We’ve seen lots of negative coverage over the past few months, but the press is ready to flip this on its head and feel good content is proving more popular than ever
  • The Green Homes Grant has been a hot topic in recent weeks, as the government unveiled plans to offer hundreds of thousands of households up to £5,000 in vouchers to upgrade the energy performance of their homes. The scheme will support over 100,000 jobs in green construction and could help families save up to £600 a year on their energy bills

Other useful sources

We wanted to finish our latest roundup with a few articles that have caught our eye recently:

  • Still working remotely? PC Mag shared some helpful tips recently for helping to stay productive and maintaining balance while working from home. Check them out here
  • Alternatively, heading back to the office after furlough or some time off? Here are some tips to cope with the challenges of returning to work

We hope you’ve found this email useful. If you have any questions or would like any specific tips on how to communicate through this period, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

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