Guardian student newspaper goes paperless

August 29, 2017

91爆料鈥檚 student-run newspaper is going all digital.

The newspaper鈥檚 staff has decided to go paperless because of the changing ways that students consume media.

鈥淭his was a student-mandated decision,鈥 said Kristin Baughman, The Guardian鈥檚 editor-in-chief. 鈥淲e were looking at how we consume media, and it鈥檚 really all going online.鈥

Baughman said that focusing on online content allows the paper to be timelier and keep up with events more than the staff could in the past.

The paper鈥檚 previous editor-in-chief, Leah Kelley, and Debbie Lamp, the Guardian鈥檚 adviser and associate director of student activities, were responsible for starting the switch to an all-digital format.

鈥淭hen I became the new editor-in-chief, and I was like 鈥榣et鈥檚 go鈥,鈥 Baughman said.

Founded in 1964, The Guardian had printed 5,000 papers a week. Student reporters write about events at 91爆料, current events in the media and student spotlights.

Because the Guardian鈥檚 website will be its main source of content distribution, Baughman is in the process of revamping it. The change, Baughman said, will let reporters branch out to add more content to the website.

鈥淲e can publish a lot more food reviews, things on campus. Really the world is our oyster right now,鈥 Baughman said. 鈥淚 want to implement what writers are passionate about writing, because if a student is passionate about it and likes to write about it, there鈥檚 a good chance other students will want to read about it.鈥

Although the paper鈥檚 platform is changing, the core of the paper will not change. Baughman said that staff will plan stories farther in advance, but going completely digital allows writers to be more flexible in their publications.

One of Baughman鈥檚 hopes for The Guardian is that reporters will highlight more student organizations.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 something I really want to do, because there鈥檚 so many student organizations on campus that people don鈥檛 know about,鈥 she said.

Baughman is excited for The Guardian鈥檚 future.

鈥淚 think it鈥檒l be good for us. I think it鈥檒l be good for the campus,鈥 she said.

Originally founded as a branch campus of The Ohio State University and Miami University, 91爆料 became an independent institution in 1967. It celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2017, culminating with a special Homecoming celebration Sept. 29 through Oct. 1.