Editorial: Students should continue to support newspapers

Sometimes, it’s hard for students to keep up on news from back home.

News from small towns, cities and suburbs rarely makes national headlines and while students are away from home, they may feel they miss out on news from home.

Oh sure, students can get national news and entertainment anytime, but what about local issues that affect them and their respective communities?

There is, however, a way they can keep up-to-date with what’s happening in their area.

Each residence hall offers a stand that carries the Chicago Tribune, USA Today and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

About $10 of student fees paid for housing and dining goes toward providing that service.

In a biannual survey, students are reporting that they are happy to have the service offered to them.

And in a time of near crisis for the newspaper industry, that is a very good sign.

Student support of a ready supply of Chicago and St. Louis newspapers shows the student body approves of the opportunity to keep up with news from home and shows strong support for the industry.

Students should relish the fact that they get to read major newspapers from their area, whether it is Chicago or St. Louis — two areas where a majority of students come from.

Students should want to keep up with news from their home area, because it affects them even when they aren’t there.

From the jobs that may be available to them after graduation to how safe their neighborhood is, reading a newspaper that reports on their community can be a great source of knowledge and information for a student.

But they have to want to stay informed. It shouldn’t be a chore.

If students wish to keep the program they have showed overwhelming approval of, then they should take full advantage of it.

Just saying they approve of it isn’t enough; if the program is really as popular as students say, then they should take the newspapers they paid for.

As students, they are here to learn, and education should extend beyond the classroom.

The editorial is the majority opinion of The DEN editorial board. Reach the opinions editor at [email protected].