The virus - and our promise to you

One antidote to this uncertainty is good, reliable information – about what you can do to protect yourself and your family’s health and well-being.

That means being fully informed of the best advice from the health experts, understanding your obligations in complying with government directives, being comfortable that the precautions you are taking are appropriate – and being aware of how you can continue to thrive and enjoy life in unpredictable circumstances.

Here at The News, we’ve recorded our share of crises and calamities, of wars and droughts and flooding rains, of the Spanish flu and other challenges to our community over the past 143 years. And we’re still at it.

While our first priority is to help ensure the health of our readers, our own staff and families and the wider community, our second priority is to do our job and keep you up-to-date with accurate, trustworthy reporting and information.

In the digital era, we are able to do that instantly, connecting with you through our website, apps and online services.

This week we launch a special coronavirus e-newsletter, a free service to our readers and our community.

It is quite possible that, in the course of the spread of COVID-19, that we are unable to publish a printed newspaper and distribute it – for the first time in our long history - if some of our staff become infected.

We are ready for that. Whatever happens we will continue to publish The News online, 24 hours a day and seven days a week.

If you are one of our many devoted print readers, we urge you to go online and ensure you can access our digital edition and newsletter; please call us for help if you are having trouble doing that.

Our promise to you is that we will give you the best local, state and national information available about health advice and the essentials you need to stay safe, healthy and secure.

To stay updated and sign up to our newsletter visit sheppnews.com.au