Ryan Nicol
Employees at the Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald will be working from home through the end of 2020, as the outlets will vacate their Doral office in August.
Aminda Marqués González, the publisher and executive director of those papers, says the outlets may look for a new, permanent home next year.
The move was prompted by the COVID-19 outbreak, according to Marqués.
“The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated our organization’s ability to work remotely,” Marqués wrote in a statement to readers Tuesday.
“Since mid-March, most of us have been working from home. From pandemic to protests, we haven’t skipped a beat thanks to technology, communication tools that connect us instantaneously and the hard work of our dedicated staff.”
McClatchy, which publishes the Miami Herald and several other papers throughout the country, filed for bankruptcy earlier this year. Prior to that move, McClatchy closed the Miami plant which printed the Herald and shifted those operations to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s plant.
“As the business model in our industry continues to change, and due to the economic impact of the coronavirus, we continue to face severe financial headwinds,” Marqués continued.
“In this move, we are investing in people over place to ensure our readers receive the level of coverage and accountability throughout South Florida they expect each day from our talented journalists.”
Businesses throughout the state and nation have been forced to adapt to continued safety recommendations as the country begins a phased reopening. Marqués added those changes will affect what the outlet does next, but kept open the option of returning to a traditional office space in 2021.
“We know that the office space of today is not what the office space will be for tomorrow as it relates to social distancing and keeping our employees safe,” Marqués wrote.
“For that reason, Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald employees will continue to work remotely through the end of the year. After the New Year, once the commercial real estate industry has sorted itself out with regard to new standards and approaches, we will find a new, centralized home. We will continue to keep the lines of communication open with our readers, and will share those plans as we get closer to our move.”
The announcement comes amid a national conversations regarding the potential for employees to permanently work from home. While the Herald hasn’t gone that far yet, Marqués seems to leave open the possibility as the paper’s ownership future remains murky.
