AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Auburn University’s student newspaper, a training ground for generations of journalists, said Thursday it will cease printing after 127 years and become an online-only publication.
The Auburn Plainsman announced the change in an online editorial that said it had “reached a breaking point” a year into the COVID-19 pandemic and could not justify continued publication of a newsprint edition. A lack of foot traffic, printing costs and changes in the journalism industry all played a role, it said.
“The Plainsman is a professional news organization, and we recognize that the majority of our readers already access us through our digital formats. Ironically, for most of you reading this, there won’t be a huge amount of change,” it said.
Originally called “The Orange and Blue” after the university’s colors, the paper changed its name to The Plainsman in 1922.