About 15% of Ohio residents are unemployed.
In Kentucky, that rate is 19%. In Indiana it's 13%.
People are struggling to pay rent and other bills. Businesses are fighting to stay alive.
In addition to killing more than 40,000 people nationwide, the coronavirus has virtually shut down the economy.
That's a huge number of people living in the Tri-State trying to get by.
That’s why, starting today, we are launching a new initiative called The Rebound.
The Reboundprovides coverage and helpful information in four different areas:
Help finding a job: We will have news stories and helpful information on how to find a job. Many people are looking for a job for the first time in years. As the economy begins to roll, this will be a competitive and different job market than it was just a few months ago. For example, Dan Monk reported on how a Batesville, Indiana, company is hiring 215 jobs because of a shortage of hospital beds.
Making ends meet: We will provide stories and tips on how to get through the tough financial times. How can you save money? What programs can help you get by? For example, John Matarese had this great story on how to get your stimulus check faster.
Ensuring programs work as promised: We have a responsibility as a watchdog to make sure government initiatives and other projects are truly helping people the way they are supposed to. For example, Paula Christian had an investigative story on price gouging. Dan Monk had a story about how the Small Business Administration loan program could be abused.
Managing the pressure: These stories will talk about things you can do to help handle the stress. Mental health is important right now. For example, Paola Suro had a great story about a West Chester gym that is working to keep its members fit but also help them handle the stress right now.
We have assembled a team of journalists to bring these stories to you.
John Matarese will be the primary reporter on this topic. John has been providing money-saving tips and stories about employment and other topics under our Don’t Waste Your Money coverage for years.
Other reporters will contribute as well, including investigative reporters Paula Christian and Dan Monk, senior reporter Courtney Francisco, anchor/reporter Evan Millward and reporters Lisa Smith and Mariel Carbone.
Each of these reporters will tackle a piece of The Rebound. The economic hardships our community is facing are too big of a problem for any one reporter to cover.
This is a serious commitment to helping you through this difficult time.
As always, we want your feedback. Let us know how we are doing and what topics are important to you.
Good luck. We know this is not easy. But we are right here with you. We will get through this together.
Mike Canan is the Senior Director of Local Media Content at WCPO 9. Contact him at mike.canan@wcpo.com. Follow him on Twitter or Instagram at @Mike_Canan.
