On Monday, a week after closing schools, bars, restaurants and many other places where Washington residents congregate, Gov. Jay Inslee asked all Washington residents not employed in an “essential” business or service to stay home to slow the spread of COVID-19.
While this “stay-at-home” order means many businesses will close down through at least April 8, The Chronicle won’t be one of them. We want to reiterate first of all our commitment to bringing our readers the latest and most complete coverage we can about how this issue is affecting our community. We can do that because Inslee wisely included the news media in his list of “essential” services allowed to continue operating during this public health crisis. Washington residents need their hometown newspapers more than ever to stay connected and educated about the health of their communities.
That being said, we have made some changes to protect our staff, sources, advertisers and families.
First, The Chronicle’s office has been closed to the public for the past week. However, our staff is all working remotely and are available to answer your questions by email or phone.
The newsroom has also made all coronavirus-related coverage available free of charge on chronline.com as a public service. It’s important to us that our readers have the knowledge they need to stay safe regardless of their ability to pay — especially when so many are facing layoffs.
But if you’re able, please consider buying a print or online subscription to support us in return. It costs money to put out a quality product, and like many local businesses, we’ve already felt the pinch of the downturn in the economy.
Also, if you advertise or subscribe with us, please consider paying your bills online or over the phone. Our customer service reps are able to take your payments remotely to limit everyone’s possible exposure.
One last thing — while all of us stay home as much as possible, we’ll rely even more on our readers to tell us what’s happening in the community. What are you doing to keep busy and active while staying home? Are you trying to homeschool your kids, or taking a break from classes? How are you staying involved in church services this Easter season? Are you or anyone you know pitching in to help neighbors, first responders or those who have lost their jobs?
Let us know! Send photos, news tips and comments to news@chronline.com, or send us a message on Facebook.
Chronicle contact information:
Customer Service / Front Office - 360-736-3311, rbarr@chronline.com
Newsroom / Editor Natalie Johnson - 360-807-8235, news@chronline.com, njohnson@chronline.com
Advertising / Ad Manager Brian Watson - 360-807-8215, bwatson@chronline.com
More contact information available at chronline.com
