This is very bad news:

Friend, the unemployment rate remains at an all-time low, so you may be wondering why I am writing to you about news media layoffs. Well, the news media shed tens of thousands of jobs from 2008-2021. It's just been a long downward spiral from the Great Recession to the pandemic and the changing media environment may only make it worse. [With midterm elections on the horizon and the presidential elections heating up right afterwards, now is not the time to make cuts to our news media--our democracy depends on it. Friend, can you support independent, progressive media by donating $5 to Daily Kos?]( [DONATE]( News outlets have been hemorrhaging jobs for decades. First jobs were lost as people migrated from print to digital media, then as digital media was ravaged by Big Tech like Google, Amazon, and Facebook taking a larger and larger share of advertising revenue. Then the pandemic saw an unprecedented spike in layoffs—many of those jobs haven't returned. Many of them never will. This has a corrosive effect on our country, as we're losing the people who debunk the misinformation that's fueling Trumpism, but there's no sign of the trend slowing: we're still seeing news media layoffs today. Last month, [Gannett](, America's largest newspaper chain, laid off 400 staff from newsrooms all across the country and canceled another 400 open positions. Meanwhile, the latest mega-media conglomerate merger of [Warner Bros. and Discovery, Inc.](, the new ownership of CNN. Their top priority? Slashing expenses to save $3 billion of their bottom line. After they pulled the plug on a yet to be released streaming service of CNN, they announced layoffs of 100 staff, with even more layoffs expected in the coming months. There is nothing else like Daily Kos out there. Not only do we provide you the news and the tools to take effective and immediate action, we also have a revenue model unlike any other news media outlet. Daily Kos has relied on the donations from our readers and activists to fund the work we do. In fact, it's our largest source of income. But what's even more important, it makes us accountable to you—not to a billionaire backer, hedge fund, or corporate advertisers. We know that in order to keep operating, we have to fight and deliver for what you believe in. [Friend, I have to be honest with you when I tell you that I am starting to get worried about the impact a looming recession could have on Daily Kos and the work we do day in and day out. That's why I am asking for your help: Can you donate $5 to help Daily Kos continue to produce the quality of work you have come to trust?]( [DONATE]( Thank you for all you do, 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](.