After asking the question, “Do you read The Crimson White?” The responses I have received include laughter, “The what?,” “I don’t think it’s worth my time,” “I get my news from social media” and “Every so often.” These responses are disheartening but not at all surprising.
If you are reading this, you know that the The Crimson White is our school paper. The purpose of the CW is to report and share news, events and information that are relevant to students. With that being said, news that occurs outside of campus is still significant and relevant for students at the University and should not be disregarded. The range of news the CW reports should be as diverse as the student body from all regions of the country and the world. National and international news still relates to students because it affects the world we live in.
It’s difficult to produce a daily newspaper of substance filled strictly with information regarding the University. Perhaps, if the CW expands the range of news it covers, the paper will be more relevant and more people will begin to pick it up. This way, instead of students getting the news they want from social media and other sources, the CW would be the paper that provides students with University, national and international news in one place. Students are busy enough as it is, and a paper that can cover a wide range of news would only be beneficial for the occupied audience. Some will argue that students will still get their news from Twitter, Facebook and other forms of social media, but the students and faculty members who read the CW now should still have something worth reading.
The argument can be made that introducing another section in the CW will only make it more difficult to produce a quality paper due to the large amount of information the paper would need to cover. First off, the CW can only improve its current news standing. In one issue this past month, there was an entire half page on how to braid hair. Second, the University is full of students searching for new ways to improve themselves and their resumes while doing something they love. If the CW advertises new open positions for journalists due to the expansion, students will respond.
The CW should produce a paper that informs readers on the things that matter. People want to read a paper that will inform them about news affecting students, the University, the nation and the world. If the paper doesn’t have enough news to fill the 12 pages it produces, then save some paper and don’t print articles just to fill space. The Crimson White should print with a purpose.
Carolyn Duke is a sophomore majoring in secondary education – English and Spanish. Her column runs bi-weekly.
