The Cavalier Daily
Serving the University Community Since 1890

KATUIN: Expanding community access to The Cavalier Daily

A few incremental reforms could go a long way toward increasing readership

The Cavalier Daily holds a unique position within our community. In keeping with University values for student self-governance and the level of autonomy seen at other college newspapers, the organization is entirely student run. This independence allows the newspaper to report on issues deemed most important by the students of the University. However, students do not make up the entirety of The Cavalier Daily’s readership. Members of the Charlottesville community, University alumni and many others read the publication and have a considerable stake in the institution. The newspaper is able to provide community members and alumni with insight into the current climate of the University. Unfortunately, the nature of this organizational structure can sometimes make it difficult for all readers to share their views and provide feedback.

In order to ensure The Cavalier Daily is accessible to individuals outside of the student community, there are some changes that may be instituted. Updating the paper’s website should be a top priority as the site is challenging to navigate and the search function is rather unintuitive. While a user-friendly interface would certainly benefit student readers, there are many places around Grounds that students may pick up a print copy of the newspaper. Improving the online version could expand readership for community members or alumni who are unwilling or unable to pay for a print version, but would like to continue reading The Cavalier Daily.

In addition, it would be beneficial to develop a uniform system for accepting and printing letters to the editor or responses to specific articles. Currently, readers are encouraged to email opinion pieces to one of the editors of The Cavalier Daily. Including a specific tab on the website for submissions would be useful for individuals who are interested in responding to a particular article. A designated page would allow editors to provide information about the guidelines for a submission, including the appropriate length or word count, and a bit about the selection process. Increasing transparency and having readers submit their articles through an online form may streamline this process. There may also be a slightly higher publication rate if readers knew what the parameters were for these types of submissions.

Increasing the number of guest columns could help provide a wider range of perspectives. Although the newspaper is student run, this does not necessarily mean that a student must write every article. Encouraging professors, administrators, community members and alumni to submit guest columns would broaden the scope of coverage and help The Cavalier Daily engage with a more expansive audience. Structural or institutional changes such as these often take time to accomplish. However, it is highly valuable for University organizations such as this paper to make themselves accessible to the community, provide a greater level of transparency and to serve as a platform for individuals to voice their opinions.

Jacquelyn Katuin is the Public Editor for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at publiceditor@cavalierdaily.com or on Twitter at @CDPublicEditor.

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