Howard: Alumni support preserves paper’s legacy, ensures future

In many ways, The Daily Orange is much more than a newspaper. It’s an organization that provides students a real-world outlet to cut their teeth in journalism, advertising, art and design. It’s the only publication on campus with the reach and authority to make student work truly matter to the community. And it’s a place where we’ve all built friendships and gained experience that has profoundly improved our lives and careers.

There’s one way The D.O. is just like a newspaper, though: For the past few years, it’s been going out of business. The D.O. is tethered to the same outdated business model that has torpedoed countless publications, and we can’t wait for the industry to innovate or for the economy to turn around. We need to change the way The D.O. does business to ensure it’s here to help the next generation of students the same way it helped every one of us.

The future of this organization isn’t about business, and we shouldn’t rely on an ever-changing roster of busy students or a motley crew of daytime business staff to crack the code of newspaper profitability. In fact, the ideal business model for The D.O. looks a lot more like Syracuse University’s than The Post-Standard’s. We should see The D.O. as a nonprofit foundation for student journalism, one with its own income-generating power that’s backed up by a cash-flow cushion provided by the people whose lives it has meaningfully changed.

The new D.O. will have the funding to give students a more valuable experience than ever, and the editors will have the freedom to innovate, experiment and produce journalism that makes us all proud. The staff will be able to pursue their bigger ambitions, like reaching out with community scholarships, educational events and big alumni reunions — all of which have been pushed aside as the paper’s head honchos have struggled to keep the lights on.

To make it all happen, what has to change? The D.O. needs the support of its extensive alumni community. Thousands of us will receive this newsletter and other outreach, and I know The D.O. holds a special place in all of our hearts. A small contribution from each of us will help the organization accomplish great new things and weather the tides of the industry and economy.

This is about much more than helping a business stay afloat — it’s about empowering The D.O. to help future students learn, practice and experience the wonderful world of independent student journalism. When today’s students reach out to you for donations, advice and connections, think of it not as paying someone else’s bills, but as supporting a cause that has helped all of us build friendships, memories and careers that are worth passing down to the next generation.

We’ve all helped shape The D.O.’s long and exciting history. Starting today, let’s make ourselves part of its future as well.

Rob Howard is the outgoing alumni board member and was editor-in-chief in 2005. E-mail him at rob@howarddc.com.