NewsBrands Ireland and Local Ireland, the representative bodies for the national and local news publishing industries, have written to the government to appeal for ‘essential service’ status in the event of a further restrictions of movement during the Covid-19 crisis.

In the letter, the organisations highlighted that the news media play a vital role in maintaining the flow of news to the public, crucial to a healthy democracy, and particularly crucial during the current crisis where citizens must have access to accurate, fact-checked information, produced by professional journalists.  As a trusted source of quality news, Irish newspapers are well-placed to counter misinformation, which is rife on social media.

In the event that restrictions are placed on movement, the news publisher organisations stressed that is important that news media outlets are designated as an essential service and steps are implemented to minimise the impact of disruption on the supply chain and support its continuity. 

In addition, they urged that appropriate provisions to facilitate the flow of news to the public can be incorporated in emergency planning arrangements for the coronavirus.

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