MAGNOLIA – The Bray, the student newspaper of Southern Arkansas University, will officially launch its new online edition this week.
TheBrayOnline.com will be a constantly updated news source for the students, faculty, staff, and friends of SAU.
“The Bray Online allows the Bray staff to get you information as it happens,” wrote Dylan McLemore, instructor of mass media and faculty advisor to The Bray, in a letter to the SAU campus. “It provides us with the ability to go beyond our printed capacity with photo galleries, video clips, and other multimedia content. It allows you, the reader, to get involved by commenting on stories or even submitting your own news and opinions.”
As the student staff adds online publishing to their duties, print publication will move from a weekly to a biweekly schedule. Student editor Melissa Heard has plans to make print editions worth the wait.
“I plan to bring a lot more student culture to The Bray,” said Heard, a senior Mass Communications major from Magnolia. “I’d like to make the university aware of who our students are, what they’re interested in, and what they’re doing on campus.”
The online edition will carry all print stories, as well as web exclusives that did not make it to the presses. PDF downloads of print editions will also be available, dating back to the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year.
Bray staff will also maintain a Twitter feed (@thebrayonline) and a Facebook page (search for “The Bray Online”).
“I would love to see the community participate in The Bray Online,” Heard said, “By contributing their opinions about campus activities, and following the website through Twitter or Facebook. News about campus activities will be much more immediate and accessible through the website, and I’m hoping the students will take advantage of that.”
The drastic loss of jobs in the print industry – over 15,000 since the recession began – combined with an increase in the consumption of online news led to the decision to begin providing electronic content.
“Employers are looking for a new set of skills, and consumers are looking for a new way to get information,” McLemore said. “The game has changed. To continue to do things the same way would be a disservice to our readers and our students preparing for their careers.”
“We live in a world where more and more people are getting their news online instead of from a printed paper,” said Gerald Plumlee, assistant professor of management and chairperson of the Student Media Committee which oversees The Bray. “Not only is it important that our students learn to produce an online newspaper, but Bray readers can get campus news the same way they get the world news – online. And for those who enjoy the traditional printed paper, I believe we will see an improvement in the quality and quantity of printed news as a result of this change.”
The first print edition of 2011 will be available across the SAU campus on Thursday afternoon. Online content is available now.
The Bray and The Bray Online are ventures of the Southern Arkansas University Mass Media program, a division of the Department of Theatre and Mass Communication. Questions about The Bray or the Mass Media program may be directed to McLemore, advisor@thebrayonline.com.
