I got an email today from the Ontarion, the student newspaper at the University of Guelph, asking for an interview on the future of print. It’s perhaps a testament to the community in Guelph and the university that their paper spends so much time covering the city, instead of just focusing on issues directly perceived as impacting students.
Here’s what the reporter wrote:
I’m writing a piece about the future of print media, especially local papers, in light of the economic downturn and recent layoffs at both the Mercury and the Kitchener Record. Would you be available to answer questions any time between now and Wednesday noon-time?
I’m curious to see what the student newspaper take will be on the situation. (Last week, 13 people were laid off at the Mercury, 21 at the Record. The visible html tags in the story about the layoffs bode poorly for the future of the paper, I’d say.) Many university papers already operate as not-for-profits — I wonder whether this will colour their perspective.