Decline of the Herald

The Gazette reports that the Herald is reducing its publication schedule even further.

Western Herald, WMU student newspaper, switches to monthly print cycle, goes web-first

The schedule has been:
1991-2009: Monday-Thursday
2009-spring 2012: Twice a week
Spring 2012-now: Once a week
Now: Once a month

A journalism professor relates:

“When I started, I would arrive to an entire classroom of students with Heralds; every student read the newspaper,” said Junger, who has been a professor in the journalism department since 1996. “Now I have to make them read it. It’s a challenge to keep up with the times."

This is absolutely true.  You used to see students reading the Herald all the time.  Now you never do.

The Herald is trying to ramp up its website.  But getting students to actively seek out a website is a lot harder than getting them to pick up a physical paper right in front of them.

The same thing is happening throughout the newspaper industry.  The Gazette has reduced its size and publishing schedule significantly.

This blog has had a lot of fun attacking the Herald for its poor quality and absurd leftism.  Still, it's sad to see it go.