Enjoy reading a daily newspaper? For the next couple of weeks, you can read the news for free. The Newspaper Readership Program, sponsored by USA Today, is currently being tested on campus. Guilford is trying out the pilot of the program before accepting the paid version. The pilot variation is a four-week trial of free newspapers in several dorms. The Readership Program paper racks are now located in Milner, Binford, and Bryan halls.

Papers choices within the program include three different publications, including a local paper, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, or The New York Times. Here at Guilford for the test period, we have available USA Today, The New York Times, and The Greensboro News and Record. Our own Guilfordian is also in the same racks with the other free papers. USA Today coordinates the distribution of the newspapers, with all deliveries occurring early each weekday morning, between 5:00 and 7:00 am. However, The New York Times has been difficult to find and in short supply, if available at all.

Recycling is a significant factor in the program. As new papers are delivered, all unused newspapers remaining in the displays from the previous day are picked up for recycling. Recycling bins are also provided near the stands for older papers.

If Guilford decides to continue with the paid version of the program, the cost will vary based upon newspaper usage. The college pays only for newspapers picked up. The program’s website,http://studentsread.usatoday.com, gives the approximate price as $10 per student per semester (based on anticipated usage) for three newspapers daily. It is questionable where Guilford would draw the funding from for the paid version of the program.

USA Today proclaims that free newspapers “enhance the learning environment on the university campus.” Generally, this promotes benefits identified with reading the daily news. If the program increases the probability that students will take the time to read a newspaper, when it is more easily accessible, then they will benefit and the campus will benefit inherently as well. USA Today lists some of the advantages as “helping the students understand the world in which we live,” “encourag[ing] the acquisition of skills important for educated citizenship,” “develop[ing] a readership habit,” and “inform[ing] and educat[ing students] about community, national and world events.”

The program was created by Penn State University and then later expanded to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In the spring of 2000, Penn State and UNC conducted a study to compare students’ “newspaper readership habits” between the two schools, and the relative success of the program. Pilot programs have been tested at over 300 colleges and universities and paid programs are currently running at over 160 schools.

Based on other schools’ student surveys, the major influence on the decision whether or not to read a paper is based primarily on the proximity of pick-up, secondly on the choice of newspapers, and third on cost. Ninety-four % of students surveyed nationally say that the availability of newspapers in residence halls would contribute to the habit of reading a newspaper on a regular basis.

If this program changes into full effect at Guilford, the racks will be a bit more widely distributed, possibly in every dorm, as well as key places like Founders or the library.

The program typically includes a first-day “launch event” for students in participating dorms. However, this event did not occur here at Guilford, and this lack seemingly undermined the goal of familiarizing students with the program and its existence. When I questioned several students from the dorms with the papers, most knew vaguely of the new racks, but nothing about the limited time they would be accessible.

According to the program website, the launch event also includes pre- and post-program surveys “to determine student readership habits,” upon which to later base the effectiveness of the program as well as costs if the school decides to continue on to the paid version. The lack of this information might affect Guilford’s decision to keep offering the newspapers.

Many students are thrilled with the free papers, especially during the very intense, historic events of the past week. Stephanie Hunter commented, “Given the time frame, it was very lucky to have the program around. Even Harris Teeter was sold out of papers by 7:00 am.”

While the program is still in the pilot stage at Guilford, take advantage of the free papers. If you think that a permanent version of this program would benefit our campus, or you just enjoy reading the comics before class, show your support. Stop by one of the stands over the next couple weeks and pick up a copy or two.