For the Record

Paywalls and COVID-19:

In a conversation with colleague Rick Edmonds, media ethicist and Poynter Institute Senior Vice President Kelly McBride argued that news organizations offer a "critical public service" and must "do something to make their information accessible to those who might not be able to pay" in crises such as the COVID-19 epidemic. "A swift-moving global pandemic means people need information updates from a local news provider daily, if not hourly, so they can make personal decisions about how to respond, including what to do if they get sick," she added.

Latin American News Organizations Unite Over COVID-19:

According to Júlio Lubianco of the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas, publications "from at least six Latin American countries published identical covers with headlines related to fighting the coronavirus" in a rare joint venture. "In the face of the global advance of the pandemic and the impact it is having in our country, the media unite their voices and their actions in pursuit of a unambiguous and forceful message," said a spokesperson for Argentina's Association of Newspapers.

Foundations Form COVID-19 Fund:

A consortium of philanthropic organizations (including Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Mellon Foundation and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund) announced the establishment of the formation of the NYC COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund Friday. The $75 million fund "will provide grants and interest-free loans to small and mid-size" nonprofit New York City-based social services and arts and cultural organizations that have been affected by the pandemic. "We at the Mellon Foundation recognize the arts and humanities' unique power to cultivate hope in the midst of challenges and uncertainty," said Elizabeth Alexander, the president of the Mellon Foundation and a member of the Pulitzer Prize Board. "As artists and cultural institutions adjust to new fiscal realities, we call on funders, businesses, and individuals to join us in supporting the arts and the strength, inspiration, and perspective they bring—in New York City and around the world."

Facebook Runs Face Mask Ads Despite Medical Shortage:

Ads for face masks are continuing to appear on Facebook nearly two weeks after the platform pledged to crack down on the promotions due to rampant medical shortages. "We have been preparing for more automation catching these ads, but it is not there yet," Facebook Director of Product Management Rob Leathern said when questioned by CNN Business about the issue. Attorney General William Barr has ordered the Justice Department to prioritize investigations of fraudulent conduct during the pandemic.

Broadway Unions, Trade Groups Attempt to Reach COVID-19 Deal:

According to Ramin Setoodeh of Variety, the Broadway League (which represents producers and theater owners) "is negotiating with 14 unions to find a one-size-fits-all solution for temporarily compensating actors, musicians, stage hands, engineers, ushers, press agents, company managers and more as shows stay dark" because of the COVID-19 pandemic. "The atmosphere on the street was really apprehensive," said Matthew Lopez, author of "The Inheritance," which shuttered four days before its scheduled final performance. "You could feel it in the city. Inside the theater, there was love and gratitude. We were talking about it afterwards, and in some ways, were we allowed to make it until Sunday, the final performance would have been for us."

Alt-Weeklies and City Magazines Adjust to COVID-19 Economic Fallout:

The COVID-19 pandemic has precipitated a week of "total annihilation" at alt-weeklies, according to Joshua Benton of NiemanLab, with publications such as Sacramento News & Review and St. Louis' Riverfront Times laying off staffers en masse. City magazines also have been affected, with Washingtonian imposing a 10% salary cut for staffers. "We won’t have a print edition next week, but we’ll be online every day, and hopefully we will be back on newsstands — and in thriving bars, coffee shops and restaurants — soon," said Doyle Murphy, editor in chief of Riverfront Times.

Lionized Xinhua Reporter Chided on Social Media:

According to Chun Han Wong of The Wall Street Journal, mainland China's glorification of Xinhua News Agency reporter Liao Jun's coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic has inspired a backlash among social media users, who accuse Liao of "[propagating] fictions that clouded the severity of the outbreak in its early days." An essay posted on the account of retired Xinhua reporter Gu Wanming urged Liao to "refuse the accolade and decline to speak"; it has since disappeared. "Chinese people have long been distrustful of party propaganda," said Washington-based consultant Qiao Mu. "But this time, with lives at stake, public anger is amplified."

Twitter Cracks Down on COVID-19 Misinformation:

In a Wednesday blog post, Twitter pledged to work with "trusted partners" and "public health authorities" to combat misinformation concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a Washington Post breaking news item, "examples of tweets that will now be deleted [...] include: denials of expert guidance; promotion of actively harmful coronavirus treatments and remedies that are ineffective; [and] unverified claims that spawn mass panic." 

Playboy Ends Print Edition:

Playboy Enterprises CEO Ben Kohn announced Wednesday that its flagship magazine's Spring 2020 issue "will be our final printed publication for the year in the U.S." because of content production and supply chain issues stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Christopher Bonanos of New York, it is "unlikely, given the wording of the announcement and the state of print magazine-making, that it will ever return [...] as [the] faded empire contracted around [founder and editor Hugh Hefner, who died in 2017], one got the sense that the magazine was kept going partly because nobody wanted Hef to outlive it." The company will continue to publish most of the magazine's content (including the Playboy Interview) as a digital product.

IFCN, Facebook Partner on COVID-19 Misinformation Grants:

The International Fact-Checking Network and Facebook announced Tuesday that they will "support the fact-checking community working on the COVID-19 related misinformation with a budget of $1 million" through flash grants of up to $50,000. Supported projects include "translation of fact checks from native languages to different languages" and "audience development initiatives that use innovative formats, such as offline or interactive communication, to better reach people with reliable information." The deadline is April 1.