Dean Robert Wallace announced at a faculty meeting that after a long decision making period, West Virginia State University decided to move the Yellow Jacket, the school’s newspaper, to an entirely online model. Citing declining readership for the print version and budget shortfalls, those in charge of Yellow Jacket operations determined that the best course for salvaging the newspaper was to adopt a digital approach similar to that of neighboring newspapers at Marshall and West Virginia University.
Readership of the Yellow Jacket has shrunk significantly over the last ten years. A decade ago, more than three quarters of the student body read the newspaper. Today, less than one in ten students reads the paper. According to Jim Long, the faculty advisor for the Yellow Jacket, this has produced a downturn in advertising revenue. Combined with the overall budget cuts that have come from the university, this ad revenue decrease has made it difficult for the paper to meet its salary obligations and produce a compelling product.
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Long indicated that he appreciates the department’s faith in him and the students to continue operating the newspaper in its newly digital form. While this represents a major change in the way the newspaper will operate, it will provide the opportunity for students to learn about the new publishing business while still allowing the Yellow Jacket to be a part of student life at the university.
Professor Robin Broughton, who advised the newspaper staff from 2010 to 2014, believes that this is a sign of changing times. Social media has caused shifts in the world of journalism, and people are more and more interested in getting whatever news they consume on their computers and tables.
“The newspapers that survive and prosper are those that follow their audiences online,” Broughton said, explaining that the Yellow Jacket may have a chance to reach new customers with this shift.
