Street Papers adapt to a new reality: Coronavirus and a world in lockdown by Tony Inglis / Courtey of INSP.ngo
The coronavirus outbreak has put organizations of all stripes and missions in unfamiliar territory, and this is no less true for street papers. The majority have been forced to take the unprecedented steps of temporarily pausing printing and telling vendors not to sell their publications on the streets, completely upending their usual operations to fall in line with health guidance advising people work in isolation and practice social distancing in an attempt to halt the spread of the virus. This leaves street papers with a new set of challenges. One of the major tenets of the street paper mission is allowing vendors to come face-to-face with members of the public, carrying out a transaction whereby they buy the street paper and sell it for a profit. Not only does this provide a livelihood, but it makes a community of people, often marginalized and vulnerable, totally visible. COVID-19 has created an environment that makes this nearly impossible in just about every one of the 35 countries where street papers exist. With this challenge, street paper organizations are proving themselves to be at the forefront of innovation within the media, publishing and social justice worlds they straddle. With the support of the International Network of Street Papers (INSP), they are adapting to the dangers of coronavirus and continuing to find ways to put money in vendors’ pockets and support their welfare in these challenging and strange times. “We’ve been trying to help our members tackle these issues since it became clear that coronavirus was going to have major global consequences,” says INSP’s chief executive Maree Aldam, who is working from home like the rest of INSP’s Glasgow-based team. “Fortunately, our network consists of numerous robust organizations and countless talented, hard-working and innovative people who are constantly coming up with new ways to support the people they serve. The coronavirus outbreak has shown already that society’s most marginalized are at much greater risk. Those experiencing homelessness – and many street paper vendors do – are in a particularly precarious situation. Many cannot shelter or isolate, and often do not have easy access to hygiene products to protect themselves against contracting the virus. Our street papers have staff members dedicated to ensuring the welfare of vendors, and they are carrying on their work as best as the situation allows.”
In terms of cases and deaths, the virus is at different stages in various parts of the street paper network. In east Asia, the situation remains serious (with Korea and Japan looking to once again close borders and reinstate quarantine measures), but street papers are looking at what happens at the other end. “The sale of the magazine on the street is still very difficult,” says Big Issue Korea director Byunghun Ahn. The Seoul-based magazine has started a monthly fund to provide for vendors to subsidize lost sales. “The situation around the virus is becoming more controlled, but everyone is still being careful. Vendors are advised not to move during the morning and evening rush hours. When our vendors and staff come to the office, we check their body temperature. It seems like Koreans are getting more used to this situation little by little. But it’s not yet possible to say that it is being ‘controlled’ because of the potential variables. It’s still a crisis.”
