Coming off the page: Finances forces UW-Parkside’s Ranger News into online-only format
November 9, 2009 in industry news
The Journal Times in Racine County, Wisc. reports that financial hardships at one local college newspaper forced its staff to think Web-first in a very big way. #
The Ranger News, the weekly student newspaper for the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, has folded its print operation and now runs exclusively online. #
The News’ editor in chief, Jo Kirst, said growing financial pressures — the paper spent $22,000 a year to print 30 issues — led the paper to cease printing. #
Even in an era of mounting difficulties for newspapers, few collegiate papers have gone the route of The News and moved exclusively online. #
From the Journal Times: #
“It just got to be too expensive,” Kirst said. #Kirst told the Journal Times that she misses “being covered in ink” and “smelling like newspaper.” Now the task for the paper is to re-direct its readers to its new Web site The Ranger News.com. #The Ranger News‘ decision isn’t typical among college papers, Logan Aimone, executive director of the Associated Collegiate Press in Minneapolis. #
… #
“I’ve only heard of maybe two or three campuses that have done that, and in every case it’s because of budget,” Aimone said. #
Though Kirst and her staff had an unenviable 
decision to make, freed money and time resources could allow the paper to reinvent itself in a big way, perhaps setting an example for other college papers who follow suit. #
“Hopefully by the end of the semester we’ll be completely marketed on campus,” she said. #So what do you think about the The Ranger News’ online transformation? And how can it successfully market itself to move its readers online? #
What a great opportunity the Ranger News has! Although it's unfortunate (yet unsurprising) that the publication is losing money, they have now cut their printing costs, which will save them hundreds of thousands, I'm sure. With the saved money and all their efforts focused online, they're going to be a step ahead of all the other college newsorgs struggling to find a comfortable home online.
I strongly believe that the biggest challenge in creating a truly web-centric newsroom is the fact that print publications still exist. The very nature of a print deadline inhibits reporters, editors and ad reps from being able to flip their mindsets upside down.
It seems like the editors are unhappy about the change. I hope the Ranger editors embrace it and document it as a resource for other newsorgs that have to drop print too. I don't mourn the online transformation, I celebrate it and wish other college media would take the same step, even before being forced by finances.
On some level, I have to disagree with Lauren Rabaino. I agree that the cumbersome print production process inhibits newsrooms from becoming truly "web centric." We'd all think web-first if we didn't have to worry about producing a daily paper.But the truth is, its just not that simple. Most newspapers are still not making money off their web site and print advertising still remains more than online advertising. It's counterintuitive to everything we're taught, but it's true. If the numbers added up and newsrooms could make money off of their web sites, then I think they'd ditch their print operation in a second. But the truth of the matter is, print is still basically funding online news.
Print is the moneymaker… for now. How much longer will it last? And will students wait until they're broke before deciding to figuring out how to make money online? You can't learn how to monetize the web if it's just an afterthought. Without the print burden, students are free to experiment. As my Canadian boyfriend always says, "Go where the puck is going to be, not where it is."
On some level, I have to disagree with Lauren Rabaino. I agree that the cumbersome print production process inhibits newsrooms from becoming truly “web centric.” We'd all think web-first if we didn't have to worry about producing a daily paper.
But the truth is, its just not that simple. Most newspapers are still not making money off their web site and print advertising still remains more than online advertising. It's counterintuitive to everything we're taught, but it's true.
If the numbers added up and newsrooms could make money off of their web sites, then I think they'd ditch their print operation in a second. But the truth of the matter is, print is still basically funding online news.
Print is the moneymaker… for now. How much longer will it last? And will students wait until they're broke before deciding to figuring out how to make money online?
You can't learn how to monetize the web if it's just an afterthought. Without the print burden, students are free to experiment.
As my Canadian boyfriend always says, “Go where the puck is going to be, not where it is.”
On some level, I have to disagree with Lauren Rabaino. I agree that the cumbersome print production process inhibits newsrooms from becoming truly “web centric.” We'd all think web-first if we didn't have to worry about producing a daily paper.
But the truth is, its just not that simple. Most newspapers are still not making money off their web site and print advertising still remains more than online advertising. It's counterintuitive to everything we're taught, but it's true.
If the numbers added up and newsrooms could make money off of their web sites, then I think they'd ditch their print operation in a second. But the truth of the matter is, print is still basically funding online news.
Print is the moneymaker… for now. How much longer will it last? And will students wait until they're broke before deciding to figuring out how to make money online?
You can't learn how to monetize the web if it's just an afterthought. Without the print burden, students are free to experiment.
As my Canadian boyfriend always says, “Go where the puck is going to be, not where it is.”