On this day six years ago, the College Heights Herald gave birth to its daily email newsletter as WKU announced it was closing until at least April 6 because of the pandemic.
Hats off to Rebekah Alvey, then the editor-in-chief, and her team for making a brave decision that over the years has grown into the Herald’s effective front page, delivering news into thousands of phones, desktops and other devices each day, Monday through Friday, during the fall and spring semesters and weekly during the winter and summer terms.
The birth of the newsletter also changed the nature of the Herald newsroom, transforming it steadily into a true digital-first, daily newsroom, at times producing more than a dozen stories each day for its website, wkuherald.com, and the newsletter. That’s quite a difference from the days when we were a weekly or twice-weekly newspaper and put those stories online.
And I think it is no accident that this evolution has coincided with our students upping their game across not only the Herald, but also the Talisman, Student Publications Advertising and Cherry Creative. Since that momentous event, WKU Student Publications has been the most successful student media group among universities nationwide, amassing 16 Pacemaker Awards from Associated Collegiate Press, the premier honor for student media and more than any other program in the country from 2020-21 to today.
So congratulations to those students who made the challenging decision on March 11, 2020, and to all those who have followed on the Herald, the Talisman, Advertising and Cherry Creative with such stellar results.
WKU benefits from your journalism and your community is better informed for it.
