University of Oklahoma newspaper will continue to print summer paper

But OU Student Media Department officials reversed the decision after the OU Student Affairs Division offered to donate $4,000 to the department to be used in a yearlong study to examine how to improve the newspaper.

Brian Ringer, director of Student Media, said there was no agreement to resume printing The Oklahoma Daily in exchange for the funds, but he said a conversation was held in which it was decided that the staff would continue to produce a newspaper through the summer.

He said the funds also will provide budget relief for the newspaper.

“Any of us in the newspaper business are ecstatic that we get to keep printing,” he said. “I don't want to see this market go away completely.”

Initial announcement

The Daily announced earlier this month that it would scale back the print product this summer to experiment with online advertising and readership. The plan was to suspend a print newspaper for July and resume printing in August.

Editor Chris Lusk said the move would allow student journalists to focus on a constant news-cycle and help them evaluate how to better tell stories in print.

After hearing about the plan to reverse the decision, Lusk said he is frustrated that staff members won't be able to see how the website fares without a newspaper. He said it's important to take a different approach sometimes in order to revamp a product.