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The Arbiter launches into brand new orbit
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Arbiter fast facts:
Press run – 6,000 copies
Number of students who read the Arbiter regularly – 81 percent
Amount of money students pay to the Arbiter through tuition — $5
Budget – Student fees, $100,000. Ad sales, $150,000-$180,000.
Newspaper content – 60 percent editorial, 40 percent advertising.
It’s a critical time for the Arbiter as it loses money this year in order to increase publication from once weekly to twice weekly. Arbiter staff has planned for this change for several years, mainly by stockpiling money to cover initial losses.
The Arbiter will lose about $30,000 because editorial content is expanding despite no commensurate increase in advertising – as of yet. The business goal is to boost ad sales to pay for the added space, as well as to further expand.
It is expected that the Arbiter will break even within two years, depending on the economy and how quickly advertisers adjust to twice-weekly publication.
Expansion money comes from ad sales, not student fees. Student fee increases are used to pay for computer upgrades and other basic needs.
The Arbiter is to be published twice weekly now, on Mondays and Thursdays, because most college newspapers of similar size are published at least twice weekly. Other reasons for the change include added editorial space for reporters and more advertising revenue.
The other major change is the paper’s format – gone is the familiar tabloid size. The Arbiter is now a full-size newspaper (broadsheet) because it provides for added design capabilities. Graphic designers can be far more creative with the space of a broadsheet format.
Be sure and let us know what you want to read, and enjoy the new school year.
Brandon Fiala, Editor-in-Chief