In this time of unrest and continuous changing environment, we know lots of our R&D company members are providing discounted or free services to the local media industry.
Below you will find a running list of everything our R&D companies are doing at this time to support the industry.
MarketChorus: Free website widget
In that spirit, MarketChorus is making it’s unique AI-driven news alerting system freely available to publishers, to help keep our local communities informed about the global response to COVID-19.
Borrell Associates video, webinar
Borrell Associates has produced a video (posted to YouTube, also embedded above) intended for audiences of local business owners. CEO Gordon Borrell said, “We compiled the video as a resource to media companies as they attempt to convince their customers not to go silent.” The link is below. It’s 6 minutes, and tells the story of “The Perfect Marketing Storm in 2020” in a very positive way.
Also, originally recorded live on March 18, 2020, this webinar from Borrell Associates offers guidance for local agencies and media companies on how to serve local businesses in times of crisis. The webinar describes how to help local marketers as they struggle with declining sales and customer distractions. Borrell identifies which business might actually thrive with the right marketing and how you can help them gain a voice, how the “at home” community is causing a shift in consumption of local goods and services, and what those suffering the most will need when the recovery begins. Featured speakers are Dave Morgan, CEO of Simulmedia; Matt Coen, president of Second Street Media; Matt Sunshine, Managing Partner at The Center for Sales Strategy; Jim Brown, EVP of Sales for Borrell Associates; Corey Elliott, EVP of Local Market Intelligence for Borrell; and Gordon Borrell, CEO.
REMIXD: Audio Makes News More Accessible, Convenient, and Monetized.
Effortlessly “audio-fy” editorial content, including Covid-19 coverage, latest news, business and lifestyle content for your 
audiences, and also generate incremental revenue.
Covid-19 has accelerated digital audio consumption:
News podcasts are surging along with business, health and home content consumption. Audience listening patterns are now constant throughout the day, but the majority of publisher editorial has not been available in audio form until now.
Instantly “audio-fy” latest news briefs and editorial with minimal resources and no out of pocket cost; setup fees are also waived.
“Listen Now” action buttons in Push and Newsletters help customer engagement platforms work harder to deliver higher response rates and engaged time on site, and enhance audience development efforts.
Immediate opportunity to generate new revenue: Advertising fill rates and CPMs for audio articles remain stable at the moment. Advanced publishers may extend podcast advertising into audio articles, depending on your provider. Remixd shares revenue on programmatic monetization (50/50) and charges a negotiated CPM on any direct-sold activity.
Connect and build loyalty with today’s already large and growing audience of listeners.
TownNews: Coronavirus articles
When traffic spikes, what’s your programmatic plan?
COVID-19 spurs pageview surge for local news organizations.
Coverage of COVID-19 pandemic proves once again that the world needs a vibrant local media
Subscribe to your local news organization today!
How to rapidly build a special section for breaking news coverage
When breaking news happens, it is important to organize content around that topic quickly. With BLOX CMS, there are a number of easy tools you can use to create a one-stop, compelling, and useful special topic page on your site.
Gallery: COVID-19 media coverage
Compelling coronavirus (COVID-19) information and news coverage from across the TownNews customer network.
When big news hits: Is your newsroom ready?
Natural disasters, pandemics, protests, and elections—here are some practical tips to help you prepare.
Webinar: Tips and resources for weathering the coronavirus crisis
Metro: Graphics for download
The Metro creative team has been working overtime to develop and create content you can use right now. Here is an overview of what is currently available to our subscribers at metrocreativeconnection.com:
Timely and Relevant New Content Available Now
Access All Content With Keyword: coronavirus
- COVID-19 INFOGRAPHIC Layouts available in both broadsheet and tabloid formats;
Embedded advertiser space a valuable opportunity for healthcare-related advertisers - CDC GUIDELINES HANDWASHING POSTER Ad-size design, targeted insert
and freestanding poster highlighting official handwashing guidelines ideal for sponsorship - EDITORIAL Content related to and promoting public safety, focusing on subjects like
“How COVID-19 is transmitted,” “How to practice social distancing during a pandemic” and more - HEALTH and SAFETY ADS Layouts for advertisers to promote their public health information, hours, online or delivery options
- DIRECTORIES Formats for business-related closures and restrictions due to COVID-19, available in multiple sizes for print and online use
- HEADINGS COVID-19-related headings for ongoing advertiser needs: Open, Closed, Cancelled, Delivery, etc.
- IMAGES and GRAPHICS Designed for specific use in virus-related print, web, mobile and social media content
- SELF-PROMOTION AD Highlights the importance of local reporting and your publication’s print and online resources related to local COVID-19 updates
Second Street: Articles and webinar
The Coronavirus has left us in a time of uncertainty. It’s more important than ever to be sure you’re setting the right tone in the email messages from your company – particularly your non-news email content. Here’s a list of email tips to help you navigate this unpredictable time.
With your audience finding a lot of time at home waiting out the Coronavirus, now is a good time to utilize promotions to keep them engaged with your media company. Plus with many advertisers looking for new opportunities to divert their advertising dollars, you may even be able to bring in some sponsorship revenue as well.
31 Must-Run Turnkeys Around the Coronavirus
With world events changing so rapidly and many newsrooms struggling to keep up, it can be difficult to find time to come up with and build creative promotions. We’re here to help. We’ve built a library of over 550 turnkey quizzes, photo contests, and other promotions including more than two dozen strategically-timed to run right now.
The Center Square: Content available for distribution
The Center Square is a nonpartisan, 501(c)3 nonprofit newswire service provided by the Franklin News Foundation that focuses on statehouse and statewide economics and taxation. The TCS team is composed of former legacy publishers and editors who have managed and led reporting teams at metropolitan, midsize and local market newspapers.
TCS publishes 400- to 750-word stories that are edited and ready to publish, and designed to augment your outlet’s coverage of state-focused issues. Since launching in 2018, our newswire has been utilized by more than 500 legacy news outlets in 48 states.
Contact Brendan Hartsell to learn more and sign-up at bhartsell@franklinnews.org.
Adpay | Memoriams:
Memoriams: At this time when your funeral home and staff resources may be impacted, let Memoriams help with obituary and death notice placements. Memoriams already has over 3300 newspapers configured in the U.S. and Canada. This free-to-newspapers service is available to any media property that needs our help. For newspapers already configured with rates and deadlines in our system, simply place the Memoriams.com link on your site to “Submit an Obituary.” Funeral homes may create a free account, and our seven day a week customer support team can take it from there. All obituaries can be paid by credit card, and you receive 100% of your revenues. To find out if you are part of the Memoriams network, or to add your rates and deadlines, email info@memoriams.com.
We Remember, by Ancestry: Every obituary placement through Memoriams already receives a free lasting We Remember, by Ancestry digital memorial. We are opening up We Remember to allow families to create a free-standing memorial, without starting from Memoriams. Should you wish to collect and cherish memories of a loved one in perpetuity, go to WeRemember.com to create your free page now.
GeoEdge: Article
How Coronavirus Is Infiltrating Publishers Sites
Publishers are facing a surge of unwelcome activity on their sites surrounding the coronavirus outbreak.Currently, publishers are grappling with misleading ads infiltrating their sites and hampering their user’s experience.
CrowdTangle: New tools that will empower local new coverage of coronavirus. 
CrowdTangle tracks certain public data across Facebook, Instagram and Reddit and delivers the data in interactive dashboards, graphs, leaderboards and more. The new features are useful in giving greater transparency into how information about the pandemic is spreading on social media.
CrowdTangle Search allows users to search specific phrases, terms or URLs and see how that content is performing across platforms. Journalists can search for text on images, including memes, and see trends of a specific hashtag, keyword or URL over time.
- Covid-19 Live Displays for all 50 states (+ Puerto Rico and DC)
- Covid-19 Live Display for all of the U.S.
- + various other countries
NinjaCat: Free webinar
In this recorded webinar, “Leader’s Crash Course on Taking a Company Remote,” Paul Deraval, CEO of NinjaCat and Jeff Mask, Leadership Coach will be sharing best practices for leading a remote company, as well as sharing tips, tools, and guidance for those who are new to leading and managing in a remote space.
Given the circumstances we’re all experiencing, this will be an opportunity to help ease the tensions and hesitations around remote work and shine a positive, productive light in this uncertain time.
Innocode: Tool brings social media coronavirus posts to local media websites
In this period of uncertainty and rapidly changing local information needs both from government and local businesses, Innocode’s Local Offers/Shop Local (https://innocode.com/product/local-offers/) really shines! Developed as a tool to help local newspapers bring back advertising lost to Facebook and other social media, Local Offers brings these social media posts back to the local newspaper, where they are displayed in widgets on newspaper websites. Here is an example from The Houston Chronicle: https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/woodlands/. The service, sold on a subscription basis to local businesses, is up and running in a day, and is then managed by the businesses themselves. They decide which social media posts are displayed in the widget at any given time and can switch posts/ads in minutes.
In the current crisis we have seen a rapidly growing number of advertisers use the service to update their customers on things like opening hours, home delivery options etc., and the tool works great for this! An LMA media member can easily offer it as a public service to local government, businesses and organizations, enabling them to instantly reach the community through the extensive reach of their local media company. We are currently offering Local Offers/Shop Local at 50 percent off to LMA media members. Please contact Steinar Bjornsen for more information: steinar@innocode.com, 415 351 8515.
Piano: Article available
Sustaining the news business through crisis
As the COVID-19 crisis intensifies around the world, the incredible value that newsrooms provide has never been clearer. The information that journalists are working around the clock to deliver may save as many lives as our heroic, overburdened healthcare systems.
Yet this crisis comes at a time when newsrooms are under incredible pressure as businesses. News outlets will always strive to serve the public, providing access to critical information about public health and safety and establishing trust. They need to monetize without compromising on these other values.
PageSuite: Releasing emergency solution for publishers dealing with the implications of COVID-19
Following several conversations with clients, PageSuite has announced the re-launch of MyDigitalNewspaper and subsequent launch of MyDigitalMag, an emergency solution for those looking to ensure their content remains accessible for readers during the COVID-19 outbreak. Learn more here.
Social News Desk: Offers a turnkey solution to deliver breaking, developing and vital information to your 
Facebook audience using Messenger
Messenger has an 50-80% open rate and is currently, a very powerful tool. The SND Messenger solution is easy to set up, manage and deploy to any local newsroom’s Facebook page. This feature is part of your existing SND Dashboard at no additional cost. A number of newsrooms are using it already to deliver breaking news.
More information:
How Newsrooms are using it for COVID-19 Coverage: https://tvnewscheck.com/article/top-news/246151/messenger-app-new-tool-for-breaking-news/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter_sarahloyd
Getting Your Page Ready (SND will help:: http://web.socialnewsdesk.com/facebook/how-to-get-started-with-snds-messenger-experience/
How to Get Messenger Contacts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jG6SuIlepLo
Adcellerant: Webinar and product pricing available
- Email Product Update -New pricing, creative options and more.
- Facebook Product Update – Tiered pricing models to fit every budget.
- HVAC industry content – COVID 19 response PDF. This includes suggested messaging, targeting options, recommended media mix and best practices for this industry.
- Webinar recording: Digital Strategies to Stay Relevant and Stay in Front of Your Audience
- Check out all of the coverage and tools here.
Countable: Resource center, licensing and more
The Coronavirus Health Resource Center, a cost-free resource for non-partisan information about every element of the outbreak (link here).
Content licensing and syndication of all existing and future Countable coronavirus content.
Branded Health Resource Hubs to provide a direct and controlled channel of communication for coronavirus updates. These content-driven custom sites, leveraged and branded by partners such PG&E for their Safety Action Center, provide critical information and include robust audience engagement functionality. The sites also enable clients to include their local media contributions (and assign any engagement functionality to any/all content).
Alliance for Audited Media: Frequently Asked Questions About How the Coronavirus Will Impact AAM Audits 
and Reporting
The coronavirus is impacting many AAM clients’ ability to conduct daily operations and adhere to AAM’s rules and guidelines. To help address some of your concerns, we have created a list of frequently asked questions. We will continue to provide further guidance as the situation progresses and we gain a better understanding of how the media industry is impacted.
Legacy.com and Tukios: Helping distribute video funeral services
Newspapers, funeral homes, and the communities they serve are already feeling the economic impacts of the COVID-19 epidemic. Legacy’s full-service platform has deployed significant resources and fast-tracked critical new products to support our newspaper partners with emergency obituary updates, consumer-focused end-of-life resources, and remote funeral participation. Learn more about what Legacy.com is doing here.
Admiral (GetAdmiral.com): Revenue Continuity & Growth Offers
With 1 tag and 15 minutes of work you can turn on new revenue with Admiral’s VRM platform. Admiral is here to help in these uncertain times and moving forward.
Contact Trevor Abbott (Trevor@GetAdmiral.com) and mention the LMA-Member exclusive offer!
Free Adblock Recovery: In this time of uncertainty we’re already seeing industry CPMs contract. As marketing budgets pull back in Q2, we anticipate that total ad revenue could continue to decline in 2020. At a time when ever extra ad impression could help, publishers have an opportunity to stabilize ad revenue by unlocking and monetizing their adblock traffic.
As a proven partner of the local media industry, Admiral is offering 30 Days of adblock recovery completely FREE for any LMA members who signup to unlock new ad revenue in March or April.
Free Subscriptions: As ad revenue remains uncertain, ad-free subscriptions offer more revenue diversification and average revenue per visitor (ARPV) 100X that of an ad-supported visitor. Although we don’t recommend aggressive paywalls during the COVID-19 crisis, ad-free subscriptions are an option that don’t limit access to content during this critical time.
To help local media companies diversify revenue streams, Admiral is offering its subscriptions module, FREE for 90 Days, for any LMA members who signup to start ad-free subscriptions in March or April.
Admiral’s VRM Platform: Relationships drive revenue growth, more so now than ever. The stronger the relationship with your visitors, the more value looking at those others listed, that flows from each visit.
Good relationships start with great communication. Admiral provides publishers with a highly configurable engagement engine to communicate with visitors, increase activation, and diversify revenue across a variety of touchpoints. We call this Visitor Relationship Management (VRM)..
Admiral helps you execute on each of the relationship and revenue goals below, and unlocks multiplier effects across the full visitor relationship and revenue yield curve.
One tag to install. One vendor to manage. One consistent visitor experience.
VOMO: “Be a Neighbor”
FWD>DFW connects needs and helpers during coronavirus crisis
Wehaa: Crisis Revenue Ideas
WeHaa has adapted to the current environment and production of new relevant revenue solutions is in full gear. We will be able to supply your solutions with no interruption to service or fulfillment. We are here for you and encourage you to let us know about anything digital that can help out now!
Please let us know if you have any digital ideas. Our partners have reached out to Wehaa with some good ideas and our development team is responding. Below are some new campaigns you can implement immediately. They are white label, hands free using our elaborate scraping technology and include banner widgets and advertiser reports:
- Local Business – let your subscribers know your local retail/services are open for business with our native directory solution. We can build a directory for local restaurants, grocery stores, service providers, etc. providing a valuable resource to your readers on who’s open, delivering, take out, grub hub, etc.
Support Local Businesses – Gift card portal - Virtual Sales Events – this solution can be used for ‘shop at home virtual tent event’ for autos, furniture, appliances, mattress stores, etc. You can even work in free delivery.
- Physical Events – turn a cancelled event, festival, expo into a virtual event. We’ve had requests for job fair, auto show, agriculture trade show and more.
- At Home Services – auto service is a big business, get your oil change from home, etc. It’s a good time for home improvement projects and there are local companies that will deliver.
- Low Interest Rates – put together a directory of lending institutions and take advantage of the low rates. They may never be lower.
Contact Kevin Collins, VP Sales, kevin@Wehaa.com
Guarantee Digital Partners – Stronger Together! 
Guarantee Digital is working side by side with their 200+ digital agency partners, sharing new ideas and ways they can help Local Business Owners during this difficult time. Partners are digging the new “Open for Business” bundle that includes Free Video Production, a new Video Auto Bundle for Mobile Showrooms. Also the New Restaurant Package for Take Out/Delivery…we are finding necessity is truly the mother of invention! Learn more here!
CitySpark: Virtual Event Feature Set Released
CitySpark, an event listing and discovery platform for publishers and their audiences, has introduced a virtual event feature set to collect, display, and promote live virtual, online, and streaming events. CitySpark is also now including both local and national virtual listings as part of its built-in content in every market. Publishers will have multiple channels for sharing live virtual events taking place in their community, as well as relevant virtual events taking place across the country. The new functionality is integrated into all CitySpark products—calendars, widgets, print publishing, newsletter feeds, voice skills, and API.
There are no additional costs for the new features or content and existing CitySpark customers have automatically been updated. To learn more or schedule a demo visit cityspark.com or contact sales@cityspark.com.
4media: Special offer for the USA and Canada
ABOUT A MONTH AGO many of us gathered at the Mega-Conference in Fort Worth to listen about the latest trends in the newspaper industry, meet the old friends and discuss the future of newspapers. Few weeks had passed, and the future came to surprise us. Coronavirus turned many things upside-down, which means it is a right time to help each other.
LET US HELP YOU RECOVER. Our company, 4media.com wants to help all the local media outlets to build a stronger presence online. Or the presence at all. We can set up your brand-new website in no more than 5 working days and let you run it smoothly from the very beginning. We can help you inform better, engage your local audience, implement paywall and last, but not least, increase your online ad revenues. It will also start earning for you. All with simple tools of 4media.com platform. As we are representing media family, for all the media that suffer due to the Covid-19 outbreak, we offer a free six-month trial and the next six months 50% off of our regular price. The regular onboarding price is $999, we make it now $499 and we take all the hosting costs on us. A crisis like this is a big challenge. Let’s make sure we all will be stronger when it is over. Learn more here.
Media Staffing Solutions: Covid-19 Tips
During these uncharted times, we want to help you get the most out of working remotely. We have compiled helpful hints on how to work from home.
Want to contribute items to this page? Email Lindsey.Estes@localmedia.org.
You must be logged in to post a comment.