Nevada Press Association The best in Nevada journalism since 1924
By Richard Karpel
As you juggle many competing priorities, we thought it would be helpful to share a running list of brief items relating to the coronavirus health crisis.
Congressional relief for small businesses, including newspapers
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed last week by the U.S. Congress includes a program that may be beneficial to newspapers. The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) will provide loans to newspaper publishers with fewer than 1,000 employees, and loan amounts paid in the first eight weeks that are used for payroll, mortgage interest, utility payments and rent, will eventually be forgiven. The News Media Alliance (NMA) has compiled a useful summary of the CARES Act. SBA’s Small Business Guide for Nevada includes a list of authorized lenders (see page 30) who participate in the SBA program that will be utilized to administer the PPP.
Help NMA lobby Congress on behalf of newspapers
The News Media Alliance lobbies in Washington, D.C., on behalf of the newspaper industry. To help with its advocacy for the next phase of COVID-19 economic relief and assistance, NMA is asking publishers to complete a five-minute survey to provide insight on how the public health crisis is impacting your business. Answers will be CONFIDENTIAL and any information shared will be in the aggregate. Go here to compete the survey.
Newspapers as an essential service
The Nevada Dept. of Public Safety, Division of Emergency Management issued regulations on March 20 identifying “Essential Licensed Businesses” that may continue to operate under Governor Sisolak’s Declaration of Emergency and related directives. Newspapers were included in the list, which means all of your news gathering and related business activities are considered essential during this public health crisis. NPA member publications may wish to provide employees with proof they are employed by an Essential Licensed Business, in case they are prevented by authorities from performing their work. NPA provided members with model language to that effect.
Open Meeting law still applies
Public meetings held in Nevada still must comply with the state’s Open Meeting Law. The only exception: NRS Chapter 241 eliminates the need for written notice (“written notice of all meetings must be given at least 3 working days before the meeting”) in the case of emergency, which includes an “unforeseen circumstance which requires immediate action and includes, but is not limited to … Any impairment of the health and safety of the public”. The Open Meeting Law also has a provision authorizing teleconferenced meetings, although it still requires a physical location where members of the public can participate.
Newsprint safety
The World Health Organization addresses the safety of packages and commercial goods in this Q & A. The second-to-last question describes the low risk of commercial products as a vector for the virus. According to the WHO, the likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is low and the risk of catching the virus that causes COVID-19 from a package that has been moved, traveled, and exposed to different conditions and temperature is also low.
Employer and reporting strategies during the crisis
NPA issued a one-page list of safety practices newspapers have adopted to mitigate the risk of transmitting the novel coronavirus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has compiled a list of tips on suggested policies and how to communicate them with employees. The U.S. Department of Labor also issued a guide for how to prepare for COVID-19 in the workplace. And the Committee to Protect Journalists prepared a safety advisory for covering the coronavirus.
Coronavirus c0verage grants
Several organizations are partnering to offer $1 million in grants to support local news organizations covering the coronavirus. Grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded to local newsrooms across the US and Canada to help cover unexpected costs associated with coronavirus reporting. Read more about the grants here.
Periodical permits
The U.S. Postal Service has advised the National Newspaper Association (NNA) that Periodical permits will not be revoked if a newspaper has to suspend a print issue during coronavirus quarantines. According to NNA, “Technically, a change in publication frequency requires a change in the permit. But during this emergency, USPS says a letter to the postmaster of the entry office advising USPS of the newspaper’s revised publication plans will be sufficient. The letter should be updated as plans change.”