University press strive to deliver great quality news from both inside and outside school to ensure the students’ right to know. However, an article on May 10, 2022 in the Dandae Newspaper, ‘The Shrinking of Student’s Voices: University Press Under Crisis’ highlighted the poor response of the student body and faculty to the production and content of this media. The Dankook Herald (DKH) investigated the decline support for university press and what we all can do to bring it back to life.

▲ The Dankook Media Center Logo (Photo from The Dankook Herald)

   DKU took the first step in creating a university press with the launch of the ‘Dandae Newspaper’ in 1948. To this day, it plays a key role in shaping public opinion on campus through accurate reports and comments on matters of importance while serving as a creative place to highlight the university’s future through the development of its campus culture. Since then, the Dankook Media Center (DMC) has expanded into five teams, including Dandae Newspaper, Jukjeon Campus and Cheonan Campus, Dankook Broadcasting Station (DKBS), D-Voice, and the DKH.

   Nowadays, the influence of the university press is on the decline. University newspapers were originally very influential as student movements in Korea became active in the 1960s and 1980s. However, easy access to information with the Internet and isolation from COVID-19 has spurred the decrease in its power. To investigate the current state of university media, the DKH conducted a student survey. There were only 10 respondents, which is about 0.0007 percent of the total number of Dankookians (Students of DKU). Dandae Newspaper also conducted a similar survey during May and were met with the same apathy. Both of these results were far from sufficient to be considered a representative sample and accurately illustrate the level of interest in the current campus media. However, there were some significant results. To start with, most of the respondents viewed DMC content through the Internet. Dandae Newspaper and the DKH currently place their periodicals on newsstands, but usage is very low. Therefore, the use of the Internet is vital for students to have easy access to content and attract more readers. Next, respondents expressed that the DMC should work harder to promote its content and that current promotional events held on community applications or social media felt “superficial.” It is unlikely that the university’s media image can be rebuilt using only basic promotional events that fail to capture anyone’s attention. More creative means need to be developed.

   DMC’s Chief Editors discussed the reduced influence of the university press. Noh Hyo-jeong, Editor in Chief of DMC and Lee Seon-min, Director of Cheonan Campus DKBS expressed their disappointment when Dankookians were left confused about a recent controversy despite publishing an article that accurately covered the matter. “University media should be centered on students, but this is getting more difficult when no one is offering up their opinions,” Shin Dong-gil, Editor in Chief of Dandae Newspaper explained. It is not an exaggeration to say that indifference is the biggest concern for every university media.

   The DKH also interviewed a member of DMC’s PR team about the current status of DMC and the qualities that it must possess to be more successful. Concerning DMC’s current recognition, they said that only a few Dankookians steadily subscribe to its content. They blame the availability and easy access to more stimulating content in online communities and social media. “It seems that most Dankookians perceive DMC as a mere school club,” they added. To attract more Dankookians, they stated that DMC should create content that is entertaining and conducive to school life. They emphasized, “As the readers mainly consist of Dankookians, it is indispensable to consider what they are into and what information they need.” They also advised surveying Dankookians to learn about the topics they want DMC to address. This was followed by questions concerning the function that university media are supposed to perform and the qualities that DMC members have to cultivate. They said that university media should serve as a forum for public discussion where people can have a free conversation by accessing accurate school news that deals with major issues arising within the university. “To fulfill this vision, DMC members should work hard to strengthen their expertise in coverage. When it comes to educating trainee reporters, it is crucial to foster their capability as a reporter through professional training,” they explained. Lastly, they said that if each medium from DMC makes the most of its strengths and cooperates to meet the demands of people, it will be enough to maintain its presence. They also said that they would like to see Dankookians enjoying their school lives with access to the fruitful information DMC provides and report any information worth sharing with people to the DMC.

▲ The Dankook Herald and Dandae Newspaper Newsstands in Jukjeon Campus (Photo from The Dankook Herald)

   The current hardships of the DMC can only be solved when its members, DKU faculty, and Dankookians work together. First, DMC members must prioritize their audience and put more effort into promoting its content in various ways. “At the end of the day, our main goal should be to focus on the basics - quickly identify issues that occur on campus and accurately deliver them - and become what Dankookians need,” said DMC Chief Editor Noh. Other Chief Editors suggested creating content that Dankookians request, sending out newsletters to make the media more accessible, and interacting with other organizations will help receive more recognition. Second, DKU should continue to communicate with its media outlets and be the steppingstone between Dankookians and the DMC. In particular, the Chief Editors hoped for good results in the discussion of placing more noticeable newsstands on school property and locating online articles on DKU’s main websites. Throughout these conversations, both the school and each DMC team can identify its weakness and improve on them. Also, many Chief Editors added that cooperation is essential when interviewing faculty members for in-depth articles. Third, Dankookians should take interest in the issues covered by DMC and develop a habit of referring to it when there are problems in the school that require public discussion. DMC cannot exist without Dankookians and they are always looking for ideas and opinions, no matter how big or small the issue.

   Each DMC team has prepared a lot of captivating content this semester. DKBS is planning to upload videos answering questions regarding school life and return to producing video reports. Dandae Newspaper is adding a section that provides in-depth information about startups and columns about fashion and psychology. It is also preparing to cover issues in collaboration with other universities. The DKH is planning to publish articles for ‘International Dankookians’ by collaborating with international students from the Jukjeon Campus Global Talent Network. Every member of the DMC is always putting passion and effort into producing high-quality content, and always look forward to the support of our student body.