Todd Bowman, SU Picket Editor, and Emily Daniels, SU Picket Managing Editor recently unveiled the student operated newspaper’s first Smartphone App this week to meet their readership’s need for quick access and updates to news and events at Shepherd University.
SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. — The Picket is a student-run newspaper that has been around since 1896. It provides sports, feature and general news to Shepherd University students, staff and community. More recently, the paper has been trying increase its news presence throughout the local area.
“Over the course of the last year we have tried to expand our reach of news to include the community, because there is so much community involvement with the university and with the students,” The Picket editor-in-chief and SU junior Todd Bowman said.
In addition to growing its news coverage, The Picket is also increasing its digital media presence. The newspaper’s new and improved online format will be updated daily so news is more relevant and readily available to the Shepherd community.
The newspaper recently developed an app that is now available for all Android phones. The mobile is currently downloadable by searching SU Picket in the Google Play store. The Apple version will be operational in the next 30 days. Bowman explained that Apple puts up to a 30-day delay on publishing apps.
In light of the newly developed app, the newspaper has stopped publication of its bi-weekly print edition.
The staff is most excited about the app because it will be able to upload content immediately and use push notifications.
“We will be able to get breaking news out much quicker; with the paper some stories weren’t timely, they were dated,” Bowman said.
The staff believes that by having an app and increasing their online platform they will be able to get more students interested. “If we were to go outside right now, almost everyone would have a cell phone in their hand, no one is carrying around a paper,” Bowman said.
“It was actually even cheaper for us to have this app developed versus having a bi-weekly paper printed. It just made the most sense,” he added.
In addition to breaking news, sports scores and stories will be able to be published in real time as well. “We have been in talks with our sports editor about having game score updates and possibly having a halftime report as well,” Emily Daniels, The Picket managing editor and SU senior said.
Another exciting feature that the mobile app includes is a ‘what’s nearby’ section that will allow advertisers to use the push notifications for special offers and coupons.
“As an advertiser, if you have a special deal a certain day of the week or time of the month, you will have the ability to subscribe and have these offers sent out to the community as part of your contract,” Bowman said.
Both Bowman and Daniels agree that digital media is an up-and-coming factor in journalism nowadays. “I think it is something that is needed; with technology these days it is hard to be successful without having some type of digital content available,” Bowman said.
Daniels said that working for the newspaper has not only increased her experience in the field but it has helped her grow as a person.
“Whenever I started here right out of high school, I knew I wanted to do journalism and write, but I used to be very, very shy… I am a completely different person than I was two years ago, now I am not afraid to approach people and I’m confident in my abilities, so it has really helped me because I think that if I wouldn’t have worked at The Picket before going into the real job market, I wouldn’t stand a chance,” Daniels said.
For more information, visit supicket.com or Twitter.com/SUPicket.
-Staff writer Katiann Marshall can be reached at 304-263-8931 ext. 182 or at Twitter.com/KmarshallJN.
