A letter from the Editor on the impact of coronavirus

DEAR readers, The new reality of the time of coronavirus has dawned. The impact this virus will have on our nation is unprecedented in living memory. Our daily lives are drastically changed, our working rhythms and daily routines with our families shattered.

The threat to the health and very life of our people cannot be overestimated. The importance of winning the desperate battle that lies ahead for our heroic health service cannot be understated. Now is the time for a collective response from society as a whole, each one of us taking responsibility for our own actions.

Now is the time to stay together by staying apart.

While we as a people need to stay apart, today we would like you to know that the Sunday Independent and the Irish Independent will be with you every step of the way, every hour of every day.

There has simply never been a greater need for clear journalism that explains exactly what this unfolding situation means for you.

Through the worst of times and the best of times — for more than 115 years — the Sunday Independent and the Irish Independent have reported the news that really matters to our readers. We remain committed to providing balanced and objective reporting and analysis, giving you the information you need to make the best decisions for you, your family and your community.

We remain committed to providing this, no matter what circumstances unfold.

At present, our print editions are available in most of the usual newsagents, shops, supermarkets and other outlets, and we are thankful to our retail partners for their outstanding work and commitment in these times.

We would like to suggest that you consider taking a digital subscription to Independent.ie — where you can access all the journalism published in the Sunday Independent, the Irish Independent, and more.

You can do so by visiting www. independent.ie/subscribe.

If you prefer the structure of a newspaper, we can also offer you our e-paper, which you can leaf through to find all your favourites, in much the same way as you would our printed newspapers.

No matter what the format, we know that trusted up-to-date news and information is what you, our readers, need.

We also know that there is more to truly understanding our current situation than facts and information alone. The human stories from the frontline are what is needed to better appreciate the context of the crisis facing us all

And with the nation in need of inspiration, we are also committed to bringing you the stories of those who are volunteering to help others.To make our digital offering even more relevant, we have launched our dedicated coronavirus page — www.independent. ie/coronavirus — home to key information on the virus, its symptoms and who is most at risk. It also carries the latest information on the impact in other areas of daily life such as education, keeping children entertained and how to stay fit and well.

For those who want a summary of the unfolding events delivered straight to their email inbox, we have refocused our newsletter offering, creating a section of coronavirus information that leads our Daily Digest and Daily Update newsletters.

We have also launched a new evening edition of the Daily Digest which will be specifically curated by Ireland Editor Fionnan Sheahan every weekday, bringing you the very best of that day’s information from at home and abroad.

You can subscribe here: https:// member.independent.ie/newsletter

On Independent.ie we will continue to provide news and the latest updates on the coronavirus to all our readers, whether they are subscribers or nonsubscribers.

We will also endeavour to make sure the most up-do-date information directly relating to health matters is also available to all our readers.

However, the reality is that quality, independent journalism costs money and we need to both support and protect it today and in the future.

Some pieces, therefore, depending on their nature, will be premium pieces and you will need a subscription to read them.

If we do not ask that of you, we won’t be able to fund the journalism that makes up the majority of articles that people can read on our site for free.

Our journalists have now been working remotely for close to two weeks. Our newsroom is empty but our writers have never had more news. Our team will be staying safe and we hope you will stay safe too.

Like our nation, we will be staying apart so that we can all stay together.

Best regards,

Alan English Incoming Editor Sunday Independent

Cormac Bourke

Editor, Irish Independent/ Independent.ie