Rural newspapers, which have been at the heart of their communities for well over a century, are falling victim to the crippling effects of coronavirus.

Key points: Coronavirus is taking a toll on country newspapers as advertising grinds to a halt

Coronavirus is taking a toll on country newspapers as advertising grinds to a halt Mildura's Sunraysia Daily, as well as smaller publications are closing

Mildura's Sunraysia Daily, as well as smaller publications are closing Many of the publications have been serving their communities for well over a century

In Victoria's north-west Mildura's only daily newspaper, the Sunraysia Daily, will close this weekend — a move that has shocked the community.

This year, the Sunraysia Daily was supposed to be celebrating its centenary, but at a meeting On Tuesday staff were told Saturday's paper would be the last until further notice.

Staff will also be stood down at three other Elliot Newspaper Group mastheads, including the free weekly Sunraysia Life, the tri-weekly Swan Hill Guardian and the bi-weekly Gannawarra Times at Kerang and the Loddon Times in the Loddon Mallee region of Victoria.

The managing director of the Elliot Newspaper group, Ross Lanyon, said Tuesday was the worst day of his life.

"It was a terrible day to have to face your staff, your friends, people who have worked for our family for 40, 50 years and explain that under current conditions our newspapers are no longer viable," he said.

"I've played sport with them, I've played sport against them, I've had a beer at the bar with them. We have regular social outings together so it's a lot more than a business decision, it's a deep-in-the-heart decision," Mr Lanyon said.

Mr Lanyon said advertising, which normally accounted for 70 per cent of income, had evaporated.

But he said he had every intention of trying to resurrect the newspapers when economic conditions improved.

"We will be doing our absolute best, I can guarantee that," he said.

Mildura paper staff offer to work for free

Mr Lanyon fought back tears on ABC radio when he revealed his staff from across the business had offered to work without pay.

"It's been overwhelming. It's a pretty amazing thing," he said.

"It's very difficult for me to ask people to work for nothing for very extended periods of time."

Mr Lanyon said staff would be paid out their entitlements as soon as his business recoups outstanding debts.

Mr Lanyon said regional newspapers offered a regional, democratic voice.

"Without it these regional communities will lose the power to have any relevance."

The owners of the Yarram Standard and the Great Southern Star in Victoria's South Gippsland also announced the two newspapers would go into indefinite recess.

And at the bi-weekly Latrobe Valley Express staff were told to expect their hours to be cut as management fights to keep the paper in print.

Papers that survived world wars crippled by virus

The Yarram Standard is 145 years old and the Great Southern Star was celebrating its 130th year in print this year.

Owner Helen Bowering said advertising revenue had ground to a halt.

"It is a heartbreaking day for all of our newspaper family," she said.

"We are hoping to come back from this as we are proud of our local papers and serving our communities."

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The manager of the Latrobe Valley Express and Gippsland Times, Bruce Ellen, said a reduction in hours was a survival measure.

"Advertising revenue is down, catalogue inserts are down, classifieds are down and public notices are down because everything is cancelled. The impact on us has been significant," Mr Ellen said.

"It is a crisis time for us."

Mr Ellen said all rural newspapers were straddling a rapidly declining revenue stream at a time when readers were relying on local news more than ever.

"We're looking at every single cost we have, and we're making cost reductions wherever we can simply so we can continue to produce the newspapers and get the news to our communities for as long as we can.

"But I don't think any business can make any guarantees at all at the moment."

Mr Ellen said he had dire concerns about the future of community journalism.

"If we lose our newspapers, we lose community.

"The only place that a local community gets the news about themselves, their families, their local governments and local sport is their local newspaper, because nobody else does it."

Journalist Deb Lucas with Jess Banik and her mum Vanessa, after Ms Lucas took out the Victorian Country Press Association award for a story on the Baniks. ( Contributed: Deb Lucas )

Deb Lucas, who has worked as a journalist and photographer for the Yarram Standard for more than 20 years, said the shutdowns had left country newspapers in a black hole.

"All the events are cancelled, there's no sport, advertising revenue is practically non-existent, so it makes it really difficult in these tough economic times," she said.

"I feel like we are letting our community down."

Government help needed to keep ink on print

Mr Ellen is also the president of Country Press Australia, which represents 140 rural and regional newspapers around the country.

The group is lobbying the Federal Government for immediate help.

"We are in contact with the Federal Government, which is considering what it can do to continue to support public interest journalism at this time," Mr Ellen said.

Former journalist and Victorian Federal MP Darren Chester said he would like to see all levels of government support local papers through advertising and other measures.

"This is a perfect storm, where we've seen a downturn in some of our traditional industries," he said.

"We've had bushfires and drought affecting advertising revenue and a disruption in the media market.

"It has changed to a more online platform so all of that has disrupted the way community newspapers operate.

Union says paper closures are premature

The Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance, which represents journalists and media professionals, is concerned newspaper managers have jumped too early.

MEAA Regional director Adam Portelli said it was a disappointing and drastic step.

"While there's no doubt this is a difficult environment, these papers have survived depression, drought and world wars — yet just a week of this current crisis has led them to shut their doors," he said.

"Their decision is premature, there is going to be stimulus money available to these businesses imminently and there's likely to be further stimulus after that.

"We implore these mastheads to wait for that funding. To do otherwise would be a betrayal of their community as much as it is of their workforce."

Survival week-by-week

At the North Central Review, Whittlesea Review and The Free Press in the Macedon Ranges, editor Lauren Duffy said she was trying to ride out the economic impact of the virus.

"We're a free newspaper. We are 100 per cent reliant on advertising so there's no doubt we're concerned," she said.

"We've had several businesses call to cancel advertising already."

She said the business would reassess the paper's situation on a week-by-week basis.