The University of Kentucky’s student-run newspaper, the Kentucky Kernel, has reduced its print schedule from five days per week to two.
The Kernel’s website reported that the new schedule, which will print issues on Mondays and Thursdays, will give the publication’s writers more time to develop investigative stories, and the staff also will be working to expand its The Kernel’s online presence and its use of social media.
The Kernel’s article on the production shift noted that other college newspapers, including the University Daily Kansan, The University of Illinois’ Daily Illini and San Diego University’s The Aztec, have already made the shift to printing fewer times per week.
Kentucky Kernel Press, Inc.’s chairman, Duane Bonifer, added that the publication had a good year financially last year. The twice-weekly print issues are also expected to be thicker as a result of the reduced production schedule, typically including eight pages instead of four.
“We were in a great position last school year — the Kernel was pretty strong, it had a good foundation,” Bonifer said in the Kernel’s announcement. “Most media organizations wait until things get tough before they make a change, but we wanted to make it better while we had the resources.”