While this column has focused on many technological aspects in the lives of college students, it has rarely focused on the medium in which it is presented. That is, the newspaper here at the Independent.
As with many things, times are changing. Newspapers are no longer content to be a print edition that comes out periodically. Subscriptions are falling as consumers are becoming accustomed to free content online. And newspapers will have to follow suit.
If I was able to take anything home from the newspaper convention we here at the Independent attended over the weekend, it is that a Web site is not enough. For a newspaper to be complete, for it to reach out to its user base, it must integrate itself into a variety of services.
YouTube. WordPress. Twitter. FaceBook. MySpace. Most university students here are intimately familiar with these Web sites, if a glance at computer screens in the computer labs is any indication. In the upcoming weeks and months, the Independent will seek to integrate itself into these social networking Web sites.
This is a challenge. Many newspapers around the country will freely admit that what they are doing right now is experimenting, experimenting to see how they can use technology to their benefit as well as their readers. Here are some of the ways in which we will be seeking to implement ourselves.
Increased media on our Web site, NEIUIndependent.com. Currently, we are limited to posting our own articles every two weeks along with any photos from our photographers. Using a variety of services but keeping the same domain name, we will update graphics, have higher quality slideshows, and embed YouTube videos.
Our own YouTube channel. This channel will go live once we are able to streamline the process of bringing news videos online.
Blogs on WordPress. I’d imagine that Tech Talk and other columns might post smaller, less significant articles on our blog.
Among others, we will be listening closely to your thoughts and opinions. And as always, our Web site is open to online comments and discussions on our articles.
Keep your eyes open. It should be an interesting rest of the semester for the Independent.
David Mosher can be reached at d-mosher@neiu.edu for any questions or comments.
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