The global news media industry is under threat at a time when access to trustworthy, independent journalism is, for many, a matter of life and death.

New research by Economist Impact, supported by UNESCO, finds that Covid-19 intensified economic pressures facing the global news media industry. Outlets in low- and middle-income countries have been the most severely impacted, with a rate of decline almost two times faster than the global average. This has led to newsroom closures, layoffs and pay cuts for journalists at a time when access to trustworthy information is desperately needed.

Without urgent action the pandemic threatens the fundamental existence of free, fair, independent news media ecosystems all over the world.