As the news industry deals with job cuts, furloughs and cutbacks as a result of the economic downturn prompted by COVID-19. The Google News Initiative wants to help and has launched a Journalism Emergency Relief Fund to deliver urgent aid to thousands of small, medium and local news publishers globally.

The funding is open to news organizations producing original news for local communities during this time of crisis, and will range from the low thousands of dollars for small hyper-local newsrooms to low tens of thousands for larger newsrooms, with variations per region. 

Starting today, publishers everywhere can apply for funds via a simple application form. They’ve made it as streamlined as possible to ensure they get help to eligible publishers all over the world.

Applications will close on Wednesday April 29, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. At the end of the process, they’ll announce who has received funding and how publishers are spending the money. 
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New England Democratic Senator’s, Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ed Markey (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Jack Reed (D-RI), along with other Senate Democrats, wrote Senate leadership on April 8. They are calling for any future stimulus package to address the economic fallout from coronavirus to include funding for local journalism.

“Local news is in a state of crisis that has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the senators wrote in a joint letter sent to the upper chamber’s leadership last week.

Other signatories, include Angus King (I-ME), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Warner (D-VA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Patty Murray (D-WA), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Bob Casey (D-PA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tom Udall (D-NM), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Joe Manchin (D-WV).

If you have any reason to be in touch with your states Senator, please let them know that you appreciate their support.

Read the letter

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, courts in New England are increasingly holding hearings by telephone and videoconference.

Jeffrey J. Pyle, Partner at Prince Lobel has put together a crowdsourced guide to access in the COVID-19 pandemic.

In their post, offered as part of Prince Lobel’s New England Media Access Hotline, they will assemble news and resources about media access to “virtual” court proceedings in the six New England states. 

They invite members of the New England news media to help! Please provide updates about your experiences (good or bad) with access to “virtual” court hearings in the six New England states. 

Prince Lobel will curate and update the post periodically, as circumstances and court policies evolve.
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Need help? The SBA has a network of counselors offering free business counseling. These links pull in the counselors by state:
CT ME MA NH RI VT

Connecticut SBA District Office
(Hartford)
860-240-4700
Visit website
Connecticut_DO@sba.gov

Connecticut SBA District Office
(Bridgeport Branch Office)
203-335-0427
Visit website
Connecticut_DO@sba.gov

Maine SBA District Office
68 Sewall St. room 512
Augusta, ME 11110
207-622-8551
Visit website

Maine SBA District Office
(Bangor Alternate Work Site)
202 Harlow St. room 21250
Bangor, ME 14401
207-945-2021
Visit website

Maine SBA District Office
(Portland Alternate Work Site)
312 Fore St. suite 104
Portland, ME 14101
207-248-9040
Visit website

Massachusetts SBA District Office
10 Causeway St. room 265
Boston, MA 12114
617-565-5590
Visit website

Massachusetts SBA District Office
(Springfield Branch Office)
One Federal St. building 101-R
Springfield, MA 11105
413-785-0484
Visit website

New Hampshire SBA District Office
603-225-1400
Visit website

Rhode Island SBA District Office
401-528-4561
Visit website

Vermont SBA District Office
802-828-4422
Visit website

While the coronavirus is disrupting business as usual, it’s also spawning new opportunities for small businesses to reach local audiences and media companies opportunities to be there to provide these services to generate revenue.

ITZonTarget is a strategic consulting partner for media companies. Greg Swanson, Chief of Business Development for ITZonTarget has spoken at several NENPA conventions and is inviting you to a series of webinars on digital tools, campaign ideas and strategies to offer your customers. There is no cost for NENPA members to participate.

Webinars will be held on Wednesdays from 3:00 – 3:30 EDT via Zoom. This is the link to use for all meetings:
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/5039410489

Be sure to mute your mic’s, unless you’re speaking. They will reserve time for a couple of questions at the end of each session. If your question doesn’t get answered, email Greg at greg@itzontarget.com.

UPCOMING WEBINARS

MAY 27: Greatest Campaign Hits
In this webinar we present a few recent campaigns that delivered the goods. Join us and hear how a school got new students, a water park attracted a slew of kids, and a theater company filled its seats at the last minute at the end of the season through their digital campaigns and targeting tactics.