By now, most of the Argonaut’s readerships has heard — the University of Idaho’s student-run newspaper has officially made the transition to a once-a-week publication.
Will this mean less coverage of UI news and events? No. Will this mean fewer training opportunities for student journalists working at Student Media? No. Will this mean Student Media employees will only have to wake up at 3 a.m. once a week rather than twice to distribute The Argonaut across Moscow? Yes, and for good reason.
The Argonaut is adopting a mentality that most publications across the world are starting to see as the natural evolution of news production. This approach, known as the “digital first” mentality, is in response to changes in how people consume news.
As of 2016, 57 percent of Americans listed their primary source of news as television programming, while 38 percent said they read their news digitally on laptops or phones. Another 25 percent listed radio as their primary source, and a mere 20 percent said they received their news in print form, according to Pew Research’s State of the News Media study.
Times are changing. Journalism students are expected to enter the arena of modern news writing when they leave UI, so the publication we produce should keep up with national trends.
Just as biology students shouldn’t be expected to use a primitive microscope in their classrooms, journalism students cannot be expected to continue with a tradition of print that simply isn’t serving them with the knowledge and experience necessary to enter the workforce.
As The Argonaut adopts a digital first mentality, students will learn to use tools like Facebook Live and Twitter to bring news directly to followers’ smart phones in real time. Deadlines will be faster and more realistic to what will be expected beyond college — an event happens at 7 p.m., the story is due by 10 p.m. and copy will reach the web by midnight.
This is about efficiency. It’s about teaching students not just to be great writers — something they can learn in the class- room — but rather great reporters, prepared for a news climate where screens just hap- pen to come before paper.
Pushback is to be expected, especially when tradition runs as deep as it does at The Argonaut. This publication has been the Vandal Voice for more than a century, and that role can’t be taken lightly. However, it can evolve to be a more effective voice — a voice that better serves those who read it.
By adopting a digital first mentality, The Argonaut will give journalism students the tools to better represent UI after graduation and readers more efficient and accessible news.
— LK