Get involved in your future news
Alice Arutoff
Issue date: 9/23/09 Section: Opinion
We're back for another great year here at the University of Detroit Mercy. This is our 91st year of publication.
The Varsity News was started by students on U of D's campus in January 1918 and has continued to thrive since then.
As a student-run newspaper, it gives students the chance to be involved in a great history, expand the definition of what a newspaper is in an internet-driven culture, learn writing techniques and share student stories and opinions about campus and the world around us.
Many newspapers are facing issues with publication - The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press locally - and are trying to figure out how to survive and thrive in today's world.
While the printed newspaper remains popular with older generations, journalism students and computer illiterates, news has become a predominately online industry.
Almost all newspapers have taken the leap to an online format. But what exactly does being online mean?
Just placing text on a page doesn't make the online edition different from the print edition.
Being online affords the opportunity to redefine how news is presented. Finding a balance between text, audio and visual content, creating an interactive and intuitive website and providing the right content are all keys to the success of an online paper.
A few years ago, adjunct faculty adviser Craig Farrand saw the need for The Varsity News to make this leap, in order to create a hub for students.
We had a few incarnations of the online newspaper, but we had difficulties creating an eye-catching website to suit our needs.
In fall 2008, the Communications Studies Department hired Tom Stanton as a full-time journalism professor to help the newspaper grow. Stanton brought the idea of using College Publisher as a platform for our online presence.
College Publisher is home to over 450 college newspapers, and now hosts The Varsity News online at www.thevarsitynews.net. Since January 2009, we have been uploading our print stories and creating exclusive online content (vlogs, videos, slideshows, podcasts, etc.).
You can check out today's paper online. Even better, you can contribute. We are always looking for new staff members to help generate content.
If you have an idea on how to make the paper better - in print or online - become a member of the staff. Get involved in your campus newspaper.
Get involved in your future.
The Varsity News was started by students on U of D's campus in January 1918 and has continued to thrive since then.
As a student-run newspaper, it gives students the chance to be involved in a great history, expand the definition of what a newspaper is in an internet-driven culture, learn writing techniques and share student stories and opinions about campus and the world around us.
Many newspapers are facing issues with publication - The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press locally - and are trying to figure out how to survive and thrive in today's world.
While the printed newspaper remains popular with older generations, journalism students and computer illiterates, news has become a predominately online industry.
Almost all newspapers have taken the leap to an online format. But what exactly does being online mean?
Just placing text on a page doesn't make the online edition different from the print edition.
Being online affords the opportunity to redefine how news is presented. Finding a balance between text, audio and visual content, creating an interactive and intuitive website and providing the right content are all keys to the success of an online paper.
A few years ago, adjunct faculty adviser Craig Farrand saw the need for The Varsity News to make this leap, in order to create a hub for students.
We had a few incarnations of the online newspaper, but we had difficulties creating an eye-catching website to suit our needs.
In fall 2008, the Communications Studies Department hired Tom Stanton as a full-time journalism professor to help the newspaper grow. Stanton brought the idea of using College Publisher as a platform for our online presence.
College Publisher is home to over 450 college newspapers, and now hosts The Varsity News online at www.thevarsitynews.net. Since January 2009, we have been uploading our print stories and creating exclusive online content (vlogs, videos, slideshows, podcasts, etc.).
You can check out today's paper online. Even better, you can contribute. We are always looking for new staff members to help generate content.
If you have an idea on how to make the paper better - in print or online - become a member of the staff. Get involved in your campus newspaper.
Get involved in your future.
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