The start of the new school year means the start of a new newspaper season, and we wanted to know who we are actually reaching with the stories The Spartan Speaks publishes.
According to the poll sent out to Orono High School students and staff, 10.1 percent of responders do not know what The Spartan Speaks is. Of the 89.9 percent of people who did know what The Spartan Speaks was, 71.4 percent never check the website.
This means that 74.2 percent of the students and staff are not checking the website. According to an article published by NPR, high school newspapers are on a decline because of social media.
Students no longer feel the need to read the paper or check the website for what’s going on; students find out what’s happening through their friends’ and classmates’ social media. With the growth of technology, print newspaper seems to be becoming less popular.
An article by The New York Times said that modern students are a generation that revolves around social media and internet information, because of this modern students will not appreciate newspapers as generations before have.
“Even if everything if going online, I don’t think I will ever be able to stop the print edition of the paper,” said Journalism teacher Kyle Herring, “because although it costs a bundle to print, I think the benefits really outweigh that cost. It’s totally worth it, and it’s important for kids to see others enjoying their hard work.”
But you who are reading this are making a difference. Hand a school paper to a friend or tell them to check the website. Start spreading the word: The Spartan Speaks is at Orono and it matters. News written by peers is easy to understand and is specific to Orono. Don’t let newspapers fade away.
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