Getting with the times

Exciting things are happening this autumn with The Advocate. It’s a new year with a new set of editors who hope to create a great newspaper.

One of the top goals we have for this year is to make social media a much bigger part of the paper. We have previously dipped our toes in the wild waters of social media, but this year, we are diving right in. While we already have a Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and comment sections on our website, they have less traffic than a seven-year-old’s crayon blog. That’s going to change. We will be updating our social outlets much more frequently, as well as including new ones.

This year, we have a new section of the paper dedicated to the best tweets, posts and comments across the various avenues of social media. Say something funny, interesting, insightful or clever and we’ll put it in there (yes, it can be criticism). Our Living Arts coverage will also feature a section dedicated to trending topics in the media.

We love our readers and are eager to engage with them any way we can. Read an article you don’t quite agree with? Hop on our website and add your two cents in the comments section, where you’ll find us ready to join in a healthy argument. See something cool around campus? Tweet us about it! Know someone or something newsworthy? Tweet us about! Want to pat us on the back or file a complaint? You get the point. And don’t be afraid to pop your head in at the Advocate office and let us know something in person. You can find us in the Integrated Media division near the campus computer lab (AC1369).

While we do our best to find and report all the most noteworthy things happening at Mt. Hood, there are plenty of people and stories we don’t know about unless we are told. This is not something we say lightly: If you have something to bring to our attention, do not hesitate to let us know.

Another big addition will be a full video production team. This will add a whole new dimension to how we deliver the news. We will be utilizing videos for interviews, events, teasers and campus Q and A’s. We already have a video interview of the new president, Debbie Derr, and a promotional video for The Advocate. You can check out the videos at youtube.com/mhccadvocate.

Content-wise, we are really going to focus more on stories people will want to read. Something to get excited about is our new monthly feature dedicated to students who have interesting stories or great accomplishments. We’ve already received plenty of submissions, and look forward to more. As for the look of the physical newspaper, we are going for a bolder, sleeker and more modern appearance.

We also want our staff to grow. We welcome anyone and everyone who wants to give The Advocate a shot. Those interested can rest assured that they will be under the wing of people who will give them plenty of guidance and time to craft content they can be proud of.

This is a paper made for students, by students, and we think it would be great if students had a more active role. Let us steer you through an exciting new year for the Advocate and Mt. Hood.