Re: Layoffs

Friend, a [Pew Research]( study found that 62 percent of Americans get their news from social media. One in five say that social media is their primary source for the news. Â This isn't a good thing, and here's why: Just last week [FBI Director Christopher Wray]( testified before Congress that foreign powers, in particular Russia, are using social media to interfere with our upcoming elections. Russia's goal is to malign Vice President Joe Biden while also sow division, confusion and distrust in the integrity of our elections. [The need for progressive, independent media has never been greater than at this moment. At Daily Kos, we work hard to be a news source you can trust. We expose the lies that are actively spread across social media that are used to fuel division and distrust. We deliver the facts and ways to take action in support of them. Help us continue our work by giving $5 to Daily Kos today.]( Keep fighting, Amanda McKay, Daily Kos --------------------------------------------------------------- Friend, we are now over six months into the COVID-19 pandemic. As we adjust to the "new normal" in our daily lives, we are also getting a clearer sense of how the pandemic and its economic fallout have affected media companies. It's worth remembering that many media companies were already struggling before the pandemic hit. As Big Tech giants like Facebook, Amazon and Google sucked up nearly [70% of digital advertising revenue](, layoffs were already commonplace at news media outlets, with [7,800 jobs lost in 2019](. Starting from such shaky ground, it isn't surprising that after the coronavirus spread around the globe over [700 media companies]( either shut down completely or instituted cutbacks in order to survive, including layoffs, furloughs and salary reductions. In total, [tens of thousands of news media jobs have been lost](. [Daily Kos is not immune to the struggles that other digital media companies have faced. Our lifeline has been our supportive community of readers and activists who have made contributions of $5, $10 or $25 and has allowed us to continue our work day in and day out. That's why I am asking if you can please help Daily Kos continue to bring you news you can do something about by giving $5 today.]( Keep fighting, Amanda McKay, Daily Kos If you wish to donate by mail instead, please send a check to Daily Kos, PO Box 70036, Oakland, CA, 94612. Contributions to Daily Kos are not tax deductible. (Please note that we may be slow to process checks during the coronavirus outbreak.) Sent via [ActionNetwork.org](. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from Daily Kos, please [click here](.