NORFOLK, Va. (AP) - A 120-year-old black-owned newspaper in Virginia suspended production of its print publication due to ongoing challenges amid the coronavirus pandemic, the publisher announced Friday.
The April 16 issue of the Norfolk-based New Journal and Guide would be the last one released until further notice, The Virginian-Pilot quoted owner and publisher Brenda Andrews as saying.
Andrews said the decision came as distribution locations such as small businesses and churches closed and advertisers canceled payments.
Publishing weekly on Thursdays, the regional paper covered news, politics, entertainment and business in the black community since its founding in 1900, according to the publication’s Facebook page. It was set to commemorate its 120th anniversary with a gala in May, but the event was also postponed to protect against the spread of the virus, according to the Pilot.
“My greatest concerns at this time are for the health and safety of my staff and their families and for the economic viability of this business affected adversely by the global health crisis,” Andrews said.
The publisher said she hopes to restart publication again on or before June 4.
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