For 123 years, The Daily Cardinal has been at the forefront of student journalism on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. As editor-in-chief, it is my responsibility to put this newspaper in a position to keep it thriving for 123 more.
The Daily Cardinal has long prided itself on tradition. But traditions evolve, and it is time for us to do the same. Starting next semester, The Daily Cardinal will transition to a two-days-per-week print schedule, accompanied by the launch of a brand-new website.
Plenty of college newspapers have restructured their print production schedules in recent years, so we understand this is not a groundbreaking move. It is, however, a significant moment in The Daily Cardinal’s history and a substantial opportunity for us to engage readers where they live today: on their cell phones and on social media.
Despite reducing the number of days we put out a physical newspaper, we are not going digital-first nor are we diminishing our commitment to our print product. This move is about maximizing both print and online presentations. Our two print issues, hitting stands Mondays and Thursdays, will explore the events surrounding our community in an in-depth manner. Our web platform will publish breaking news throughout the week, ensuring that The Daily Cardinal will not lie dormant between print days. This new website will give us an independent online presence, better brand awareness and more control of our digital product, making dailycardinal.com a hub for campus-wide, citywide and statewide coverage.
For the many editors, writers and photographers on our staff, this represents a learning opportunity to cover an issue and produce an online story package as soon as possible, followed by a comprehensive piece that expands on the issue’s broader implications for the upcoming print publication. Many daily newspapers moved this way long ago, and we need to make sure our staff is prepared for the field’s constant changes.
We’ve branded ourselves as The Daily Cardinal ever since our inception and we will continue to do so despite a shift in print production. Though our printing schedule has changed, we remain a “daily” in the truest sense of the word: We are here every day, reporting on stories that matter to you.
To our loyal readers, this will still be the same Daily Cardinal you have come to enjoy. We will still produce strong student journalism and thought-provoking content, a claim validated by the numerous awards we win every year. Our commitment to “sifting and winnowing” will always persist.
This is an exciting time in The Daily Cardinal’s long and distinguished history. No matter if you read our stories once a day or once a month, we invite you to become as enthusiastic as we are about this switch. Come join us.
Tell us how you feel about this shift in production at edit@dailycardinal.com.
