This is the last weekly print edition of The Eagle.
Since 1925, The Eagle has been the campus’s main source of news, recording all of the major decisions that have shaped the history of the University.
As I alluded to back in January, financial pressures have compelled us to take a look at our expenses, and, like many other newspapers, we can no longer afford a weekly print edition. Advertising revenue, our only source of revenue, has decreased substantially over the years. We cut circulation from twice a week to weekly in 2010, and further cuts have left our technology woefully obsolete.
But this is not the end of The Eagle. Not by a long shot.
It is our goal to continue to print, but with much less regularity than what you’ve seen in years past. Over the summer, Editor-in-Chief-elect Paige Jones and I will craft a business and editorial strategy that uses monthly or semesterly publications and a daily website, all dependent on the funding we can secure from Student Media Board, advertisers and donors.
We are in the digital era, and we all know it. This “digital-first” strategy will not only allow you to access The Eagle on multiple platforms, but it will also provide you with the opportunity to experience stories with not only words, but with video, photos, graphics and more.
However, we cannot successfully make this transition without your input. Fill out our short survey online so that we may incorporate your opinion into our transition. We want to hear what you would like to see from your student newspaper.
The Eagle is not dying. It is simply changing form. We mourned the end of the typewriter, and now we embrace the tablet computer. Paper maps have been replaced by GPS and Google.
And we’ve never looked back.
All of those relics of years past, including weekly print editions, hold a special place in our hearts, both as journalists and readers. But the future is here, and we’re not waiting any longer to join the 21st century.
Zach C. Cohen is the editor-in-chief of The Eagle.
zcohen@theeagleonline.com
