Over the past year, The Hill News has undergone some massive changes not only in personnel, but in the media outlets it’s using to share content. One of these new mediums is a website, which not only includes current articles, but also an archive of content from the past two years. The second new medium is a radio show, which engages editors and writers on a more personal level.
The digital editor of The Hill News, Brandon DiPerno ’16 remarks that journalism is ever-changing and as someone who gets most of his news online, he “really felt as if The Hill should have a bigger web presence.”
“At the end of my junior year, I had laid out a plan of the look with former managing editor Josh Cameron,” DiPerno says. Last semester, DiPerno turned the website into an element of his SYE with Professor Juraj Kittler, as a creative take on his PCA major. “I had experience in WordPress working as a freelance web designer, so I wasn’t unfamiliar with the technical aspects of getting the website up and running,” he adds.
Jack Lyons ’17, the digital editor in training for The Hill News, has been working with DiPerno in order to build a smooth transition after DiPerno graduates this May. This correspondence will hopefully lead to a seamless changeover and allow The Hill to avoid a previous obstacle faced the last time a website was created.
“I have previous experience with journalism on the Internet and Brandon figured I was as good a candidate as any to take over as the digital editor,” Lyons states. “Thus far, I’ve enjoyed being a part of the editorial staff as well as being involved with a new and expanding part of The Hill News,” he adds.
The Hill has also expanded into the airwaves with its podcast, Hill News Radio, a talk show that I host on Thursday evenings at 6 p.m. (contact me if you are interested in coming on). Although only three episodes are currently available on the website, the show has made tremendous strides. Show topics have ranged from the PCA production of Ash Girl, to Saints hockey, as well as student activism.
“The radio has been a lot of fun so far, at least in the few shows that I’ve been a part of. It’s nice to get on and talk about some of the articles that I’ve written and hear from other writers about their pieces,” Lyons, who is also a co- host atHill News Radio, says. “I’m excited to see where the radio segment goes in the future.”
Lyons talks sports on Thursday nights and is sure to include interviews from coaches and players in this season’s show. The new multimedia is clearly a work in progress, as many individuals involved have remarked on aspects that they are not satisfied with thus far.
Emily Liebelt ’16, opinions editor has expressed dissatisfaction with the use of photos on the website. She says that student photographers do not necessarily take the photos displayed on the website but then again, not all the photos in the printed edition are taken by student photographers either. “It’s cool to see the functionality of the website and radio show,” Liebelt says. “I think both have a lot of potential to help change the way the student body consumes content created by The Hill News.
Whether it’s being used to its full capacity remains to be seen.”