The consequences of the pandemic caused by COVID-19 are being particularly severe in the media and, of course, in the media in Basque. The study we conducted at the beginning of the pandemic showed, among other things, that we are suffering a significant decrease in advertising or that we are suffering a decrease in subscriptions. Added to this are other effects that the pandemic is causing indirectly (increased paper, electricity or fuel). While revenue is being reduced, expenditure is increasing, making it extremely difficult for the media to survive. This is the situation of the media, but not of everyone, not of a few. Consequently, it is not understood that the Government allocates this aid only to certain media. Moreover, when in its day, together with the results of the study, we called for measures to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on the media in Basque.

Moreover, it is not understood that in this distribution of money the media in Basque receive only 6.6%. To the extent that the work of the media in Euskera is essential from the standardisation point of Euskera, they cannot be left unprotected in the face of the consequences caused by COVID-19. In fact, this would mean that the COVID-19 vaccine only applied to some of those selected. It is incomprehensible that general journals, the local media, the specialised ones, local television companies … should be excluded from this protection measure. What model of country does the Basque Government have in its head when it distributes the money in this way? What do you think of the media ecosystem?

The pandemic has hit all the media hard, but the projects most affected are small, as they are the ones that have the most trouble accessing other income (advertising, institutional advertising, special grants...). It is a critical situation for many media and the survival of many projects is at stake. As with vaccines, the priority should be the oldest. Why help only the larger ones from the scope data? What kind of communication ecosystem does the Basque Government want to promote?

Media outlets in Euskera have made a special effort during the pandemic, not only to maintain the capacity for information, but also to strengthen that capacity. A special effort to respond to the extent that the pandemic required it in its field. And the citizens have thanked that effort. There is nothing else to do with how media consumption in Euskera has increased during the pandemic. If this type of one-off aid or innovation-related investment does not take into account the media in Basque, it will be difficult to make progress.

That is why we in Hekimen Elkartea call on the Basque Government to extend the aid approved to alleviate the damage caused by COVID-19 to the other media in Euskera.