Subscribers only: Paywall virus news helps News to audience spike

Mar 20, 2020 at 12:24 am by Staff


News Corp Australia says its biggest newspapers are being produced from home, and home delivery making a comeback to address COVID-19 restrictions.

Editorial news conferences are being held by Google Hangouts, designers are producing pages on their dining tables, and reporters and photographers are scattered across the states.

Audiences for News' metro mastheads and The Australian has grown by a claimed 48 per cent in the last week, with sales of newspapers in supermarkets also spiking. The publisher says digital subscriptions have grown 21 per cent year on year in the past week.

And according to Sam Weir, editor of the (Melbourne) Herald Sun, "The original home delivery product is making a comeback."

News Corp has been refreshing its 'We're for you' brand campaign, and will follow up with double page spreads with a 'When it matters most' message.

Adelaide's Advertiser and the (Brisbane) Courier-Mail have already published editions with the entire editorial team working remotely, and the Herald Sun and the (Sydney) Daily Telegraph have trials planned this week.

Pictured: This Courier-Mail virus alert is for subscribers only

Above: Matthew Benns - editor-at-large at News Corp's (Sydney) Daily Telegraph - is among those sourcing content from the work-at-home regime. He is pictured with 'The Contessa' and dog Bingo. (Photo News Corp Australia

Sections: Newsmedia industry

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