Northeastern evolves with the times

Office of Communications & Marketing |Northeastern State University
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. -- The university-sponsored student newspaper, The Northeastern, is now online. The 104-year-old publication took the virtual leap to the internet on Nov. 20, 2013.

The move comes as The Northeastern seeks to provide immediate and convenient access to the news for their loyal readership.

In the past, it was often difficult to report every piece of news on campus, because news, by definition, happens suddenly, said Meredith Barker, TNE editorial board and Muskogee senior. Our solely online presence will enable our staff to focus on writing stories and altering our public instantaneously, rather than waiting for the next print publication.

The very first issue of The Northeastern, commonly referred to as the TNE, was published in 1909, with a one-year subscription available for 75 cents. The printed version of the newspaper continued to be produced for 104 years and eventually was made accessible to all for free.

The TNE is a student-run newspaper designated as a forum for student expression that publishes news of interest and importance to the Northeastern State University campus and community.

TNE staff consists of the editorial board, advertising staff, senior staff writers and staff writers. The faulty adviser for The Northeastern is Cassie Freise, instructor of media studies.

My role as the adviser of The Northeastern is to provide and protect an ethical and educational environment for media studies students to learn excellent communication skills while implementing strong journalistic qualities when producing student media, said Freise.

While some of the staff are there to receive a paycheck, others are there to receive a grade. MS 3113 Newspaper Production is a core course requirement for all media studies majors and must be taken to fulfill the degree requirements for graduation. It is a three-hour credit course that consists of practical lab experience for basic techniques in reporting, editing, layout and design, photography, and/or advertising, according to the degree plan set in place by the College of Liberal Arts.

Media studies program coordinator, Dana Eversole served as the faculty adviser over The Northeastern until 2010. She began her journey with the TNE, teaching newspaper as an adjunct and stayed onboard as the faculty adviser for 20 years.

When I took over we only had one printer, said Eversole. I inherited the newspaper in 1990 and kept it for 60 semesters.

With that much time invested, Eversole contests that change is inevitable, as she has seen her fair share.

Social media, smart phones and the use of technology in general have altered the way that people get information, as well as their expectation for immediacy.

Results found in a study developed by the Pew Research Center in 2012 concluded that 50 percent of the United States reads their news online, and of that 50 percent, one-third of those who fall under the 30 and under age demographic reported to read their news on social media.

Our students are so social media savvy, said Freise. They are posting these stories online, linking them to their Facebook and Twitter accounts, so that all of their friends are now accessing these stories and talking about them. Students are using social media to expand on what they wrote and it truly brings their work to a whole new level.

Researchers speculate that printed versions of newspapers will soon become extinct.

I don't think the press will ever die, said Eversole. It has simply evolved more into a social medium. We always had our archived stories available online after the printed version went out, but now you can get new news all the time.

Like the news, The Northeastern is ever changing.

It was time, said Eversole. Im glad we switched to an online version. The hits have been incredible. I really believe that Cassie has taken the TNE to a new era.

The TNE assures that they are not going anywhere and will continue to put their best efforts forward in delivering accurate, ethical information as efficiently as possible.