Letter from the Editor | Revamped, revitalized, re-energized: This is the new DP

Last January, I assured you that this group of editors and managers would be “coming at you differently, with fresh eyes and new perspectives.”

We have challenged ourselves consistently throughout the year, working to find ways to push the envelope and imbue our work and our products with a new sense of energy.

Firstly, we’ve brought you a revitalized print product featuring the same great stories that we have always prided ourselves on bringing to you, but with a better, more vibrant presentation.

This is especially evident in our new front page, which features a redesigned logo that we believe is the perfect blend of traditional and modern. We’ve placed a greater emphasis than ever on visuals, making a more consistent effort to pair stories with engaging pictures and graphics.

Along the side of our front page, you’ll find a teaser rail highlighting the most relevant and hard-hitting content inside the paper that day. Throughout the paper, exclusively online content — including articles, videos and columns — are showcased, encapsulating our efforts to integrate our online and print products into one interconnected experience.

All in all, we’ve simplified and cleaned up the layout of the paper in order to showcase our content in the most optimal way for our readers.

The Penn community has proven that it is still engaged with our print product, and I believe that the print experience brings something to the table that the digital experience never will. We will continue striving toward an energetic and dependable print experience for all of our readers.

That being said, the time has long been overdue for us to focus more of our efforts towards our digital future. A renewed and greater focus on our online presence will help bring us up to speed in an increasingly digital atmosphere. We have made the decision to eliminate the print edition of our Friday content.

This is by no means a retreat from print. Although there are some modest cost savings in eliminating one print edition per week, this decision was not financially motivated. This is a part of a long-term strategy necessary for the DP.

A significant step forward in this strategy was taken yesterday with the launch of our new, redesigned website, thedp.com. There was no way for us to deny that our website had fallen behind the times. We wanted to make the web pages more aesthetically pleasing and accessible.

We wanted the websites of our different products to work together — to complement each other — and so we’ve also redesigned 34st.com and started featuring Under the Button and Buzz posts on thedp.com home page. Most importantly, we wanted to maximize reader engagement with our online products.

The last piece of our strategy moving forward as an organization is media innovation. This starts by fostering a culture of new ideas and willingness to take risks. Every media organization in the country is finding new ways to bring content to their readers and create new revenue streams — and if not, they’re getting left behind.

That is why I’m delighted to announce that the DP has pledged to spend up to $100,000 in the next two years on new, innovative projects that will create new revenue streams, enhance the experience of our student staff and create valuable, sustainable products for the benefit of the Penn community. I am particularly excited by this initiative because it truly begins and ends with the ideas of our readers.

With the great leadership of our editors and managers, I am more confident than ever that the steps we have taken are laying a new foundation for the DP to grow and innovate, remain financially sustainable and, most importantly, offer a better, more valuable experience for you.

These aren’t the first changes we’ve made, and they certainly won’t be the last. But whatever those future changes may be, and whatever stories your future holds, we’ve got you covered.

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