As newsrooms around the country are facing challenges due to decreasing advertising revenue and the changing ways in which people consume news, college student newspapers are no exception. This shift means scaling back on print editions and investing in a regular online and multimedia presence for many student newspapers.
The Hornet Tribune, Alabama State University’s official student newspaper, will not scale back on the print editions. Still, it is investing in a regular online and multimedia presence with its plans to add a short newscast, podcast, and YouTube Channel to its website beginning in February.
The staff was inspired by other student newspapers around the nation who have also taken a leap with their technology and social media.
“The Hornet Tribune expanding its outreach and influence utilizing several other media platforms is extremely important,” said Editor-in-Chief Micah Sanders, a senior broadcast journalism major.
General manager Kenneth A. Dean, J.D., is excited about the additions but cautions that each of these new features will be phased into the website.
“The first feature will be our new sports commentary show that will be posted each week on our website (asuhornettribune.com) titled “Wildcard,” Dean said. “This show will air two of our sports analysts, Kendal Manns and Khalil Stewart, with guest commentator Cullen Davis from time to time. The show will summarize all of the sports that the Hornets were engaged in during the week and feature some of the significant athletic contributors. The show will run for about 25 minutes each week.”
The podcast, T-Street 1867, should begin around the end of February and will be based on hot topics around the campus, social impacts, and national news. According to Dean, they are still searching for suitable hosts for the show so that it will be both educational and entertaining. Sanders shares that the podcast is still being fine-tuned and will include “hot topics, powerful conversation, and magnetic energy and spirit.”
Dean says that students should check out the news roundup for weekly updates and current events. This is where one student will report the news each week, another student will report the sports, and another student will report the weather. It will take a somewhat serious approach to content. All of the content will be strictly available through The Hornet Tribune’s website, asuhornettribune.com, and posted weekly.
Assistant Sports Editor Khalil Stewart is happy that The Hornet Tribune is expanding its platforms.
“I have a lot of knowledge and opinions about sports,” Stewart said. “I felt it was best for me to put that knowledge into use in some way as this platform gives us an opportunity to connect with more students.” Stewart is drawn to sports commentary because he enjoys watching sports and sharing his opinions.
Dean hopes that multiple platforms will reach a broader audience of students who prefer to hear the news instead of reading the paper. Additionally, the various platforms will set The Hornet Tribune apart from its competitors. In addition, he is happy to provide the staff with real-world work opportunities that they can add to their resumes.
“In order for our students to be able to keep up with where the world is going, I think it’s really good practice for them to get a sample of it while they’re here in college,” he shared.
Sanders agrees with Dean regarding the direction of the campus newspaper.
“The Hornet Tribune will be fully immersed into today’s trends and outlets,” he notes, “while still covering hard-hitting stories and holding the Fourth Estate of journalism as our core value.”