It is striking that journalism is facing alarming pressures on a number of fronts at a stage when it has arguably never had a more important role to play in our society.
Newspapers, as has been well documented, have had to cope with a serious decline in traditional advertising due to the pandemic at the same time as many sales outlets closed during the lockdown.
The Stormont Executive is considering proposals for a comprehensive advertising campaign promoting public health and safety priorities which would be of enormous help if it can be finalised in the coming weeks.
However, the basic concept of freedom of speech has been placed in even more jeopardy by the latest shocking round of threats which have emerged from paramilitary organisations.
Journalists at The Sunday Life and The Sunday World in Belfast have been visited by police in recent days and warned about imminent attacks.
The parent company of both titles said police had received information about specific targeting which included in one case a plan to plant an under car booby trap device.
It is believed that the perpetrators are from the South East Antrim UDA, a splinter group which has been linked through press reports to widespread criminality including murders.
All this comes barely a month after police notified an Irish News journalist of a plot by dissident republicans to attack them in their home.
It is known that senior police officers are taking all the developments seriously and have been liaising closely with the newspapers in question.
There have also been heartening messages of support from political parties and other key bodies as well as the general public, but it is still a disturbing period.
This newspaper and our counterparts have still made it clear that we will not be deterred from carrying out our duties in any way, and it is particularly essential that a firm spotlight is placed on paramilitary activity wherever it occurs.
Journalists will also continue to reflect every aspect of the battle against coronavirus which is reaching a crucial juncture.
It is probably too much to hope that the deplorable series of threats against newspapers will be withdrawn but it can be stated with confidence that, regardless of all the attempts at intimidation and worse, press freedom will be firmly maintained.
