The COVID-19 pandemic has brought sweeping changes into every facet of life in the Greater Boston area. Businesses are closed, kids are out of school, many are working from home and essential workers at hospitals, grocery stores and emergency services are on the front lines putting themselves in harm’s way to keep our communities afloat.

While the lives of Boston’s media members have been upended by the coronavirus like everyone else, they are striving to keep citizens informed on how to navigate the pandemic, and what’s to come in the short and long term. COVID-19 has consumed seemingly all headlines – worldwide and here at home – with many reporters from across the region dropping their regular beats to cover the rapidly changing reality. 

In looking at the Boston media landscape, several coverage themes have emerged across local publications.

Bay State Businesses

The most evident impact of the pandemic is felt at local businesses – either forced to close their doors, lay off employees or revamp their entire business model to try and survive. Unfortunately, many companies have been forced to restructure and lay off thousands of employees across the region, dramatically increasing unemployment claims in Massachusetts. As the crisis continues, local businesses continue to be profiled by Boston’s media, spotlighting how they and their workforces are adapting to the new normal.

Relevant Articles:

• WCVB April 9: Virus casts dark cloud over once-thriving home market
• The Eagle Tribune, April 8: Self-employed struggle as they await benefits
• Boston Magazine, April 7: Will Boston’s Indie Boutiques and Salons Survive the Shutdown?
• WBZ, April 7: New Balance Factory Switches To Making Masks: ‘We Are Well Known For Fit’
• The Boston Globe, April 6: More job cuts hit Boston’s tech sector as coronavirus effects spread

Boston’s Medical Community

Home to some of the best hospitals in the world, Boston’s healthcare community is facing the unprecedented challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic head on with the rest of the world. From hospitals shifting patient visits to virtual appointments and finding ways around equipment shortages to businesses altering their operations to support the medical community during this time, we’ve seen no shortage of coverage on how the region’s elite medical workforce is managing the crisis.

Relevant Articles:

• The Boston Globe, April 8: The race to save lives: Inside the coronavirus fight at three Boston-area hospitals
• WGBH, April 8: 63 Respiratory Therapists, Urgently Needed By Hospitals To Operate Ventilators, To Graduate In Mass.
• WHDH, April 8: Brigham and Women’s nurse providing medical attention, emotional support for patients prohibited from seeing family
• The Boston Globe, April 7: In a huge shift because of coronavirus, most doctors now ‘seeing’ patients by phone or video

An Ecosystem of Innovation

In addition to being a hub for the medical community, Boston is a hub for innovation and home to some of the world’s most revered scientists, innovators, engineers and entrepreneurs. These individuals and their associated companies across Greater Boston are working overtime to develop solutions for the challenges we’re facing, from lack of medical equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE) to e-commerce and fulfillment solutions for businesses that have gone digital. 

Relevant Articles:

• Salem News, April 8: A new kind of PPE: Volunteers building masks based on snorkels
• WBZ, April 6: Framingham-Based Cardiovascular Lab Switches Focus To Test For COVID-19 Antibodies
• Boston Business Journal, April 5: How one Mass. hospital is solving a national shortage of coronavirus testing swabs
• Boston Business Journal, March 27: Largest cybersecurity, robotics firms rethink strategies during pandemic

Impact on the Everyday

Stories of inspiration, strength and heartbreak featuring the pandemic’s impact on everyday life in Greater Boston continue to flood news mediums over the recent weeks. From neighborhoods banding together when forced to stay apart to parents balancing working at home with their newfound homeschooling duties, local media continues to connect Boston’s communities with our most personal stories.

Relevant Articles:

• Boston 25, April 9: With spring season canceled, Boston Pops to launch ‘Pops at home’
• The Boston Herald, April 8: Coronavirus keeps Massachusetts veteran from getting funeral honors, neighbors respond with their own tribute
• The Boston Globe, April 7: As Passover begins, a new meaning to an ancient story
• WBUR, April 7: Coronavirus Is Devastating Communities Of Color, Exposing Underlying Health Inequities

The pandemic has forced everyone to reflect on what is most important, as well as which news and services are truly essential. We’re continuing to monitor coverage in the Boston area and beyond in the midst of this crisis, and will report regularly. We’d love to hear from you – what stories are you seeing in the local news? Is there one that needs to be told? Drop us a line and let us know what stories have been impactful for you.