Fortunately the world moved on from this kind of thinking 3-4 weeks ago. It's real, it's a pandemic, get used to it and let's get through it as best we can.
I had this discussion with somebody yesterday, funnily enough. There are so many links in the chain when it comes to magazines being put on the shelves. Put aside the internal stuff regarding staff and freelancers actually making a product to begin with, and the fact that advertising is essential in helping fund that, what comes next is a quite exhausting process. Will the printers be running at full capacity? The one in Bicester had to shut down two bindery machines the other night due to staff shortages, so that’s a load of jobs not getting done on time. Will paper merchants deliver on time? What about the ink suppliers? Even if the printer manages to get all the jobs done on time (no chance, especially as this thing rolls on), what about the logistics? Will every lorry driver stay fit and healthy for months on end? Will every truck be loaded on time even if they are? What about the forklift drivers at the printers who need to load the pallets - will they all be there every single day for months on end? If there’s a fuel shortage which is incredibly likely in the weeks ahead, will the haulage companies even want to take things like magazines to the stores to begin with, rather than all resources being directed to carrying essential goods like food and medicine? Will the supermarkets want to waste time sorting out magazines when they need to keep the food and drink shelves as full as possible? Will people even be arsed about buying magazines - will that many people even have expendable income the longer this goes on, and the more people either lose their job or need to live off bog standard statutory sick pay? Even if people felt obliged to still buy and to do so online rather than from shops, we still don’t even know what effect this will have on the mail service and couriers as this goes on. Will they have to stop delivering completely eventually? Will they revert to only essential deliveries that are essentially government sanctioned? If there are no changes at all to them, what will the demand suddenly be like? There are a hundred different questions (at least) that can be asked in regards to how things like magazines can possibly continue functioning as normal, or even at all by the end of the next few months.Had a call from the magazine editor , things arent looking too good atm, magazine being reduced to 100 pages for next 3 issues (then situation will be reviewed) , with a UK and European ( and world wide) lockdown , result being events postponed/cancelled, theres little in the way of adverts being taken, adverts pay for magazine production.
Another element to the Magazine owners portfolio is running shows, the in effect total lockdown has seen all planned shows cancelled.
Paycuts to freelancers such as me will probably be the next step?, IF the owners can ride out the devastating impact of Covid 19 , hopefully I'll still have work in 3 months time. However only time will tell
Shiny shiny!
They've been egging the Govt on to shutdown and now they are saying what will low wage parents do with their? Give me strength
