Hundreds across Ballarat have suffered and many have closed their doors. Media is no exception and regional news has been hit particularly hard.

First it was the closure of newspapers in Mildura and Gippsland, then the entire Leader group of community newspapers, then Nine suspended its regional bulletins and 3BA laid off staff. This week it was the turn of ACM, the parent company of The Courier.

If you receive this email you would have heard from ACM executive chairman Antony Catalano explain why they have taken the drastic step of suspending print publication for many of the smaller non-daily newspapers.

The good news is The Courier, like the other ACM daily newspapers, will continue to publish six days a week and, of course, bring you up to the minute information on our record-breaking digital platforms.

We are determined to fight on through these tough times because we know how vital local news is to anybody that cares about Ballarat.

Ballarat deserves a comprehensive and seven day- a-week news service and The Courier is the place people come to to stay informed and entertained about the city they love.

In March The Courier recorded a staggering 1.25 million unique users on our website. In April we continue to break records while paper home deliveries also climb as people in lockdown realise local news is more important than ever.

For all our loyal subscribers, our special thanks in these difficult times; you should be proud that it is your ongoing support that keeps us going.

If you are hooked into this newsletter and aren't a subscriber, now is a great time to consider supporting our journalists. You can subscribe here.

Because Ballarat matters and deserves to stay informed.