As a newly-transformed online newspaper, The Red & Black team have discovered the many advantages of having the opportunity to participate in and write for an online publication. Many members of our staff have realized the importance of timeliness, accountability, and teamwork. Since the transition from print to digital, The Red & Black has quickly taken journalism by storm. Our online publication has seen a dramatic increase of readers, interested and prospective journalists, and awards being won.

With print publications, stories become outdated quickly. While students may compose an article at the time of an event, it’s unlikely that the article will be printed as quickly. Most schools have publications that are printed monthly or quarterly. Depending on the level of interest students have for their school newspaper, printing a large number of copies may be a waste of time and money. On top of that, printing isn’t cheap, however, charging students for a copy of their high school newspaper may continue to deter them from reading their peers’ work.

With online publications, high school journalists can write an article one night and have it edited and published the next. The turnover rate is extremely quick and in effect, it keeps news fresh and provides students with the most relevant trends and topics at the time.  Additionally, this keeps students and readers interested in their newspapers. Students won’t become bored when their school’s online newspaper is being updated every few days.

Most online publication providers charge a one-time setup fee and a yearly fee. During this paid year, high school journalists are able to publish as many articles, videos, and other forms of media as often as they’d like. Students are able to build both a strong and lengthy online portfolio. With a print publication, this is much harder to accomplish. Since print publications are usually printed monthly or quarterly, there are only so many articles that can be published within a given time frame. In fact, it has been observed that some schools with print publications are adding online and digital elements in order to stay relevant and to continue publishing student work. Additionally, when publications are publishing more works, it’s easier for them to obtain ads. When businesses see that publications are being regularly updated and read, they’re more likely to pay for an advertisement.

“I believe the most important benefit of offering an online publication is that the articles and coverage are in real time. That was one of the severely limiting issues with our old paper newspaper. It was done quarterly, so by the time it got into the hands of students it was already outdated,” Dr. Randy Rusielewicz, principal of Patchogue-Medford High School, said, “Students can learn two things. They can be part of and contribute to an online publication that is current and cutting edge and for the readers they can go to our online publication before going anywhere else to be aware of the current news trends and topics.” Like Dr. Rusielewicz stated, students are now able read news in real time and student journalists are able to make sure their news is the most recent and relevant.

However, some individuals still stress the importance of print media and publications. To them, print media is more aesthetically pleasing and they prefer to hold the paper pages between their fingers. Granted, a person cannot exactly hold an online article between their fingers. However, readers can hold a phone and scroll through an interesting article with ease. After all, school online publications are free for the public to read, while some high schools may charge readers for a copy of their printed magazine or newspaper, like stated earlier. Additionally, in a tech-centered world, print media is beginning to become outdated, whether we like it or not. According to Pew Research Center, 57% of Americans get their news from TV platforms, 38% get their news from online platforms, 25% get their news from radio platforms, and only 20% get their news from print newspapers. When we look at the age group of 18-29, only 5% of Americans get their news from print newspapers while 50% get their news from online platforms. Looking at this data, why wouldn’t high schools offer online publications to their tech-centered students?

“The benefits of online publications for high schools has to be the quick turnover and accessibility of information for a tech-heavy audience like teens. The faster information about school or other relevant topics appear, the more interest is generated by the community,” Mrs. Alison McKeough, AP English Language teacher and Co-Advisor to the Red & Black, stated, “It’s no surprise that the Red & Black has seen a surge in readership has a result of going digital.” There’s no denying that teenagers are the most tech-heavy age group. If teenagers are going to spend hours on their electronics, it is essential that we bring our news straight to their phones.

All in all, it is easy to see the advantages of offering an online publication in high school. Here at Patchogue-Medford, we have witnessed the obvious changes and tremendous advantages our newspaper has experienced. While you may not be able to feel the ink beneath your fingertips, you will surely still experience the same awe when reading a student’s work on an online platform.