Is the economy hurting sales?

I had one team tell me that sponsorships are down and they cannot afford a slideshow this year. They then asked me to still cover the games for the parents. Football also said that their sponsorships were down but their sales are still strong.

I've noticed one publication I shoot for has been going out of there way to find free images no matter the quality instead of using what they have on stock by there regulars which disgusts me a bit and is hurting my wallet. Everything else seems normal, many are bracing for worse times and sure T&I stuff will be affected this year along with editorial sales as mags and such use less images.

One thing is I think people are starting to brace for worse, so they might not even be affected yet but are holding onto funds just in case.