Coronavirus rips a hole in newspapers' business models

Demand for news is up, but the Covid-19 pandemic has led to a collapse of advertising for media groups that were already under intense pressure, testing publishers big and small

First came the coronavirus pandemic. Then the earthquake. It has been a harsh spring for the Salt Lake Tribune newspaper.

Just a week after Covid-19 landed on America's West Coast - posing a threat to the 150-year-old newspaper's commercial future - it was hit by the biggest earthquake in the state since 1992, destroying the newsroom.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 29, 2020, with the headline Coronavirus rips a hole in newspapers' business models. Subscribe