Read it and Weep: COVID-19 lays waste to Virginia newspapers

"It’s getting hard to keep track of the bad news about the news right now. But we have to." - Kristen Hare, Poynter

Poynter has been keeping track of newsroom layoffs, furloughs and closures caused by the coronavirus since the beginning of April 2020, and Virginia has been particularly hard hit, courtesy in large part to Lee Enterprises. Not mentioned in this list, like The Roanoke Times, the Daily Progress is also selling its office building. Here is Poynter’s Virginia list:

Virginia

• The Roanoke (Virginia) Times has put its office building up for sale.

• The Fauquier Times in Warrenton announced layoffs, reduced hours and furloughs.

• The Henrico Citizen in Henrico County announced it was stopping its twice-monthly print edition for April “and possibly beyond.”

• C-ville Weekly in Charlottesville laid off one third of its staff.

• Lee Enterprises had furloughs and cost-cutting measures, including a 20% pay cut for executives. It owns 13 newspapers in Virginia.

• Gannett had furloughs and cost reductions. It later had buyouts, with about 500 people losing their jobs. It owns six newspapers in Virginia. 

• Ogden Newspa…