A common refrain I hear from students is that many don’t know what The Post is or where they can find one of its newspapers. That seems ludicrous to me — we drop off newspapers at 250 locations around Athens County — but it serves as a reminder that The Post staff has not done enough to promote its brand in recent years.
And while we have taken steps to increase our visibility on campus this semester, we have not yet done nearly enough to show you, our readers, that we’re here every day as a resource.
Our efforts begin with simple initiatives such as handing out newspapers at the top of Baker on Fridays during lunchtime. It’s a simple way for us to put newspapers in the hands of those who don’t normally pick them up themselves.
They also include planning events that are helpful and fun for both our readers and staff.
Earlier this year, we hosted a party at Casa Nueva to celebrate the launch of our new website. More than 100 people showed up, and we had a great time. We also hosted a reporting seminar last night for Scripps students who are interested in data reporting. More than 30 people showed up to listen to a pair of Columbus Dispatch reporters teach us some tricks of the trade. Not bad for our first try, I say.
It was fun to see students get fired up about journalism, and we’re already on to planning our next event.
We’re also working to outfit our newsstands with more colorful, eye-catching displays so you know where to find us on campus. Keep an eye out for those soon.
Each of those separate initiatives — handing out papers, putting on events and making our newsstands more visible — serves the purpose of actively informing students of what we’re up to.
What else should we be doing to spread the word about our work? I welcome your feedback, and — if you’re interested — your help. We’re always looking for students who are interested in helping our public relations and marketing operation.
As always, thanks for reading.
Jim Ryan is a senior studying journalism and political science and editor-in-chief of The Post. Think The Post is a relic? Having a hard time finding newspapers on campus? Contact him at jr992810@ohio.edu or on Twitter at @Jimryan015.
