College papers growing in sophistication

It's not your parent's college newspaper.

That much is clear from just one look inside a college newsroom these days, which may reveal dozens of new computers with the latest updates in technology and sophistication. Increasingly, college publications are using resources that previously belonged to the world of professional papers. Now, they can be considered almost commonplace in the world of student journalism.

But what is responsible for this influx of technology and increased size? It seems like just yesterday, college publications made little more than adorable attempts toward looking professional. Now many of the larger publications possess equipment and staff comparable to many professional papers.

"I think the Internet has had a big impact on the development of college papers," said Dale Herbeck, professor and chair of the communications department. "The new generations of students are much more computer savvy."

Herbeck also noted journalism itself has become more popular. "We have more communications majors than ever before, with more students interested in journalism," he said.

College papers also do an excellent job of covering local issues that pertain to students. "The papers are much more sophisticated than in my time; they provide common language for the campus," said Tom Mulvoy, a communications professor and a former managing editor of The Boston Globe.

Jeff Greenwald, editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian, said that college publications are succeeding in part because "bigger papers have to produce a quality product, and students are smart enough to recognize good quality."

The rise of student media is spurred in part by a large rise in funding. Increased budgets have been the driving force behind much of the growth in size and technology at many college papers. For instance, The Daily Pennsylvanian has a staff of over 200 students and an annual budget of roughly 1.2 million dollars.

While many papers enjoy funding from their host university, some supplement that with funding from advertisers to finance operations. Others, like The Heights, rely exclusively on external revenue.

Undoubtedly, college students equipped with mommy and daddy's cash in hand are a choice demographic for companies. What better way to reach out to college kids than through publications aimed directly at them?

The fact that college publications charge only a fraction of professional publications makes them all the more valuable.

It's this formula that seems to be the winning combination for college papers. And with the rise in resources, it seems that writing is getting better as well.

"[I think] the writing is far better; [some students] could have stories that came word for word from the Globe. [They] do exactly what a good newspaper should do," said Mulvoy.

Others say that while the writing has improved, the papers are lacking other areas.

"I think this is the most prepared generation of journalists ever," said Herbeck. "The level of writing in college papers has risen dramatically, but I think economic pressure forces them to be more entertaining. I think there's too much emphasis on sports; we get a lot more of the entertainment,"

At the same time, Herbeck applauded college papers for conscientiousness and idealism.

"Mainstream journalism is changing, but college papers don't behave in the same way," he said. "They cover issues that are important to them."