AS politicians are urging the public to support their local and national newspapers, the staff at The Southern Star are reminding their loyal readers that we are still here – and working full tilt!
Having set up ‘remote working’ stations from our homes two weeks ago, reporters, editors and design staff are keeping the production of the newspaper going as usual.
We are using technology like Zoom and Google Hangout to communicate with each other and conduct interviews, and Google Drive to produce our pages.
While advertising revenues are substantially down, we have seen a huge increase in traffic to our social media sites (southernstar.ie; Instagram, Twitter and Facebook), as these are being updated on a 24/7 basis, with essential Covid-19, and other, news, from reliable and government sources.
We are also a trusted source of local news and a great way for communities to connect with each other, and share vital services and ideas, at this time.
You can contact our staff here: Editor Con Downing at [email protected]; news editor Siobhan Cronin at [email protected]; sports editor Kieran McCarthy at [email protected] and reporters Jackie Keogh ([email protected]) and Kieran O’Mahony ([email protected]), and Life editor Emma Connolly ([email protected]).
Assistance and recognition is needed for local papers during the Covid-19 slowdown, Labour party leader Brendan Howlin has said. ‘They are a reliable and trusted source of information for many.’
‘I would also call on the public to support their local and national newspapers by buying a copy when they can. We all need to be reading reliable information sources,’ he added. ‘There are also great community efforts underway to support elderly people and those at risk, with deliveries to their homes. Adding a copy of your local paper to those supplies is another way to boost their sales.’
