At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, The Dartmouth made the necessary decision to suspend print production. Yet thanks to the tireless work of our incredible staff, who overcame distance and countless other hurdles presented by the pandemic, The Dartmouth’s daily coverage continued uninterrupted online as the paper pioneered a new digital-first strategy. By winter 2021, we were able to resume a revised print schedule, publishing a weekly edition of The Dartmouth every Friday morning.
Today, we are announcing that The Dartmouth will maintain this printing schedule moving forward: once a week on Fridays. We will, of course, continue to publish online daily, persevering in our role as Dartmouth’s only independent source of news. We will also continue to print special issues — Homecoming, Commencement, Freshman, etc. — as normal.
This decision was not made lightly, but pressures from the pandemic subsist: staffing changes at our printing vendors have made a daily print newspaper untenable. Like other Ivy dailies, this obstacle comes as our online and digital readership has soared relative to our print reach. In conjunction with our Board, we are embracing this shift, one that the news industry nationwide has grappled with.
We recognize the rich history of The Dartmouth’s daily print edition and its role in informing the student body. We know that our dauntless student reporters, photographers, designers, editors and templating staff may be disappointed to not see their work in newsstands five days a week. But we believe that this decision will strengthen The Dartmouth, allowing our staff to focus on the platforms that reach the most readers. Our website, daily newsletter, social media accounts and mobile app will allow us to reach larger audiences more reliably. And once-a-week print will still allow us to serve as a teaching newspaper, training new staff in the fundamentals of top-notch journalism.
The Dartmouth remains the best source of reliable, up-to-date reporting on the goings-on of Dartmouth and the surrounding community. In addition to following us on the above platforms, readers can donate to support our work of informing the Dartmouth community, lifting up the voices of students and community members alike and holding the College accountable. And, as always, readers can reach out with questions, concerns, comments and tips to editor@thedartmouth.com and with advertising and subscription matters to business@thedartmouth.com.
Respectfully yours,
Kyle Mullins ’22, Editor-in-Chief
Olivia Gomez ’22, Publisher
The Dartmouth’s Freshman Issue will be released on Sept. 7, and The Dartmouth will resume daily publication beginning Sept. 14.
Kyle ('22) is the former editor-in-chief of The Dartmouth, Inc. and an opinion writer for The Dartmouth from St. Petersburg, Florida. He is studying history, economics and public policy at the College. In his free time, he also enjoys climbing, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and a good book.
As former editor-in-chief, Kyle's views do not represent those of The Dartmouth.
