In the news: Remembering media and journalism workers who have died of Covid-19.

Last spring, Kristen Hare of Poynter.org began tracking people in the media and journalism industry who have died of the coronavirus. This week, she reflects upon the early days of her project: “I had this idea back in the spring to collect the names of the few journalists who died from the coronavirus and have them inscribed on a brick in Poynter’s courtyard.... After 10 months collecting the obits of journalists who’ve died because of the coronavirus, I’m certain that the courtyard couldn’t begin to hold all their names.”

The media industry has lost some greats during the pandemic -- more than 500 journalists in 57 countries, according to the nonprofit Press Emblem Campaign. “It shows how devastating the coronavirus has been everywhere: newspaper owners, cameramen, broadcast pioneers, writers, retirees, young parents,” says Hare. “Many of them -- I don’t have a number -- got sick while informing their communities about the pandemic.”

Read more here, and see Hare’s collection of media obituaries here.

Also Notable

Remote Reporting: A Look Ahead

In a recent Editor & Publisher interview, Rice University Thresher co-editor-in-chief Ivanka Perez and Duluth News Tribune executive editor Rick Lubbers discuss the future of reporting in a remote work world. “The switch to remote work may be accelerating the transition from print to online-only journalism,” says Perez. “In a normal year, Thresher staffers would spend every Monday evening in our office.... As we embrace the conveniences of a more flexible, remote workroom, we must also find a way to re-incorporate a team mindset into the way our staffers operate.”

It’s a challenge to collaborate in today’s work-from-home reality, Lubbers tells Editor & Publisher: “Editors can no longer drop by a reporter’s desk for a quick chat about how a story is shaping up.... Any type of newsroom collaboration requires more heavy lifting to get it off the ground.” He acknowledges that even when the pandemic ends and people begin to return to their offices, some workers will choose to continue working remotely, creating a hybrid workforce of in-person and remote staffers.

Read more here.

Magazines That Cut Issues This Year

Kathryn Hopkins of WWD.com recently rounded up the magazines that cut the number of print issues in 2020. Summing up the state of things, she reports: “In an analysis of 45 U.S.-based titles, WWD found that 26, or 58 percent, had a lower print frequency this year compared to 2019; two have ceased print operations for good and another is on hiatus with print under review. Only two publications increased frequency.” Hearst in particular cut print frequency for several prominent titles including Elle, Cosmopolitan, and Town & Country, she says. (Not all of these changes are permanent.) However, of the major publishers, Hearst also cut the fewest staffers during the pandemic. Read the full piece here.

News Brands Exploring Subscription Bundle Partnerships

Publishers are finding new partners to create subscription bundles with wider appeal. Kayleigh Barber of Digiday.com says that these publishers “are turning to financial and educational institutions and non-publisher brands ... to bring in subscribers that publications have identified as crossover target audiences beyond their traditional reach.” Business Insider has partnered up with American Express and Wall Street Journal has partnered with Standard Chartered bank, to cite a few of Barber’s examples. Business Insider, she reports, “started offering American Express credit card holders free six- or 12-month trials to the digital publication.” Read more here.

The Disappearing Glossy Masthead

The masthead has long been a staple part of a glossy magazine issue, but that may be changing. Kathryn Hopkins of WWD.com examines this shift in a recent piece. In many cases, the masthead winds up on the cutting room floor in favor of editorial content or advertiser placements. What’s more, with many magazines existing on multiple platforms, the masthead has inflated well beyond the confines of a single page. Some magazines include their mastheads online, but Hopkins notes that this makes it difficult to link specific editors and staffers to specific issues. But Syracuse University media professor Aileen Gallagher tells Hopkins that the masthead simply may not carry the weight it once did. She says, “‘The association of the editor with the brand is not as strong. Can people name a magazine editor now besides Anna Wintour?’” Read more here.

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