News Corp Australia is suspending the print publication of 60 community titles across NSW, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia.
The titles will be paused from April 9 as a result of declining advertising revenue caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Titles impacted include the NewsLocal brands in NSW, Quest in Queensland and The Messenger in South Australia. They will continue to be published digitally.
"The suspension of our community print editions has been forced on us by the rapid decline in advertising revenues following the restrictions placed on real estate auctions and home inspections, the forced closure of event venues and dine-in restaurants in the wake of the coronavirus emergency,” says News Corp Australasia executive chairman Michael Miller.
“During this unprecedented time it is imperative that we reduce costs while continuing to keep the community informed and doing all we can to retain jobs.
“The print suspension will allow us to assess the shape of the market itself and future conditions, taking into account how the coronavirus situation unfolds in the coming period.”
Miller says that despite the suspension of print products, News Corp will be ramping up its coverage of local news.
While it’s unclear how this move will directly impact jobs at the publisher, last week News Corp flagged “inevitable” redundancies as the pandemic hits businesses. It also reduced working hours for staff and pay for its executive team to deal with the pandemic’s impact on its business.
Earlier this week News Corp Australia offered new subscribers the first 28 days free for metro mastheads, including The Daily Telegraph and The Herald Sun.
Nine also paused the printing for some of its magazines, including BOSS and Good Food Magazine, to deal with the pandemic’s impact on advertising.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.