BY CUTCOMMON
Back in 2018, Tasmania’s major newspaper The Mercury pulled back on its arts coverage. Its local critics — some having spent 15 years writing about live events — were told they were no longer needed to produce reviews about theatre, dance, or music in their community. (You can read more about this in ArtsHub.)
CutCommon was today informed The Mercury will now be axing the remains of its weekly entertainment coverage, which falls under the banner of Preview and includes news and gig guides to promote local events.
Music Tasmania CEO Laura Harper has penned an open letter to The Mercury. She is calling for signatories who are willing to show their support for the local music scene and push for editorial coverage to continue.
An excerpt from this letter reads:
As representatives of the Tasmanian music industry, we write to express our concern about the recent decision to cancel the Preview section and the Live Music Gig Guide from The Mercury newspaper.
For over 20 years, the gig guide has been instrumental in promoting Tasmanian music, informing the community about local entertainment, and increasing audiences for venues and events. […]
The music and arts industries have been severely impacted by COVID-19. I Lost My Gig Australia has registered lost income from Tasmanian gig workers of over $5.5m from cancelled performances, events, and job opportunities due to COVID-19.
We are just starting to see positive signs of recovery and the return of gigs in Tasmania, which should be celebrated by our local newspaper.
To read the full open letter, visit the Google Drive document at the following link:
For more information about the open letter and what it means to become a signatory, contact Laura Harper of Music Tasmania: manager@musictasmania.org
Image credit John S, CC BY 2.0 via Flickr
