Covid-19's Impact on Stakeholders

COVID-19 has been lethal in its spread, and the federal government, as well as state governments, are working to confront this public health calamity. In times of crisis, however, it demonstrates that democratic administrations can take a hazardous totalitarian turn. In this perspective, journalism has been envisioned as a venue for objective information and critical-rational discourse, and it serves an important role in a democracy. The health of a country's journalism can thus be judged in times of crisis.

Few economic sectors appear to have done well during the Covid19 crisis. The media sector is one of them. The need for knowledge has never been higher, but the amount of time accessible has never been lower. According to Muck Rack Trends, more than 2.6 million articles about coronavirus have been written since the beginning of the year (this figure doubled over the past week). We gave a webinar at Identity earlier this week about all aspects of COVID-19 internal and external communication. We received a resoundingly positive response as well as a plethora of relevant feedback from participants all throughout the country. During that speech, the current state of the media was a key topic of discussion.

However, most media outlets' corporate dominance suggests that they have become a weapon of the state's ideological architecture. There are some factors surrounding the COVID-19 disaster, including under-resourced public health systems, pandemic policies, and a lack of preparedness and assistance for the most vulnerable. These are critical issues that must be addressed, but the mainstream media, with a few bold exceptions, appears to be abdicating its democratic responsibilities. A crucial signal is the demonization of migrant workers and minorities while failing to criticize the lack of efforts taken to help these groups deal with the situation.

With history being written right in front of our eyes, organizations must soothe their concerns about being a part of the COVID-19 story. Almost every news story for the foreseeable future will be interpreted through the lens of this life-changing event. We've never seen such a hunger for other viewpoints on this subject. Consumer, business, and trade media outlets have all inquired about how the outbreak is affecting the people and industries they cover. The immediate impact of the pandemic has transformed not only the focus of journalism but also the way newsrooms operate.

Customer behavior and, as a result, advertising are influenced by COVID-19. Budgets for advertising have shifted in response to shifts in customer behavior. Advertisers should avoid wasting money on ineffective material. When global confinement measures were imposed, out-of-home and cinema advertising, as well as print advertising, shrank dramatically. 

Meanwhile, media use at home has soared. Although television viewership has increased, digital consumption has increased even more: the usage of social media platforms and streaming services has climbed almost everywhere, and gaming has exploded. Advertisers have reacted by following their customers, indicating that digital advertising has become a primary focus. The online environment is ripe for "direct response" marketing, which pushes customers to make quick decisions. This is a tempting offer for businesses on a tight budget looking to boost sales.