The print edition of the Indiana Daily Student still matters

Staff at the Indiana Daily Student deserves to have a physical paper.

Hey, before you read any of this, please donate to the IDS if you’re able. Thanks.

If you’ve been to a game at Assembly Hall, you’ve seen them.

The game’s about to start and the public address is announcing the starting lineups, with the visitors going first. At once, the student section next to the opposing bench lifts copies of the Indiana Daily Student.

Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

On the inside? Stories about the game and other sports around IU. Outside? A cheeky little message.

BOILER DOWN

SPARTY’S OVER

BLITZ THE BADGERS

BIRDS AREN’T REAL

It’s a staple of big games in Bloomington. That could be how you’re familiar with the IDS. Or maybe you’ve picked up a copy in the morning to read with some coffee. Maybe you were featured in a story and want a copy for the sake of memories. Let’s say an Indiana team wins a title, you can bet that means a special front page that every fan would want on their wall at home.

Well that’s in jeopardy right now.

The print edition of the IDS has been in circulation for over a century. It’s been an important campus and community resource for generations, only getting more vital as local newsrooms around the country in communities like Bloomington have been on the decline.

On Tuesday, it was announced in an official release from The Media School, which houses the journalism program, that the IDS, IUSTV (IU Student Television) and WIUX (the student-run radio station) would be converging.

Buried in this release was this tidbit:

“Cost savings will be realized through a strategic reduction in the IDS print edition, printing special editions only beginning spring 2025.”

This essentially means that support for the print edition will be coming to an end. The IDS is working on a way to save the print edition, but as of right now its future is in the dark.

The special editions of the IDS are things like the Housing Guide, International Student Guide, Freshman Guide and so on. Not the regular paper, a different thing.

I’m a very proud alumnus of the IDS. I spent three incredible years there where I gained experience as a writer, covered IU athletics events, made countless memories that’ll last a lifetime (including my favorite involving sports) and met lifelong friends.

If it was not for the IDS, I would not be writing about sports today. Mind you it’s not like I’m out here working for some big paper, I’m writing for the IU irony blog and a few national pieces for good ol SB Nation, but still. I have been able to talk to coaches, players and others around sport because of the experience the IDS gave me. It helped me discover my passion.

I wasn’t a page designer, but I worked alongside them as an editor. The process that goes into page design is intricate, it’s not easy and it takes a lot of hands-on care from those folks.

They put in so, so, so much work to make sure the paper gets out on time. Then some students and staff wake up in the wee hours of the morning to make sure those papers are delivered to boxes around campus and the city.

It’s a lot of work. And it’s important.

Those same designers I worked with used that experience to land their first jobs out of college. The IDS is a learning lab, meant to teach everyone involved on the job. It’s where I learned how to write thanks to countless colleagues and editors looking over my copy and improving over time.

A learning lab… should provide those kinds of experiences. Because it’s for learning. It’s a university. Why does profit or anything matter. It’s, again, a university. Where students are meant to learn.

Worst of all, this decision was apparently made without the input of IDS leadership or journalism faculty, according to a Letter From The Editors published Tuesday evening.

The school announced this on Tuesday despite having scheduled meetings with student media groups on Wednesday. Which… not great!

The IDS has had funding questions, to put it lightly, for a few years now. It’s happened to newsrooms across the country and student newsrooms are no exceptions. Staffs have come and gone, letters from the editor have been written but the problem has remained.

Now this, a drastic change to the IDS’ operations that was made without the input of those who are in charge of the IDS. That’s not right.

Frankly why journalism is in The Media School to begin with is a discussion of its own, it didn’t use to be that way.

This was extremely disappointing news to hear as an alumnus. Future IDS staff, students at IU and the Bloomington community deserve the same physical paper that countless past generations had.

Again, if you can, please

donate to the IDS by clicking here

so, hopefully, the paper that didn’t get any sort of say in this decision can find a way to reverse it.