As you know, the way we communicate is constantly changing.

Passing are the days of reading the newspaper for today’s news. We are entering a world where we get our news on the Internet, in our e-mails and even on our phones.

In a nutshell, people want their information faster. On-the-go. In real time.

At Central Michigan Life, the award-winning student newspaper of Central Michigan University, we realize this. And we are making great strides to meet our readers’ demands.

Today, we officially launch the new cm-life.com, using the WordPress content management system and with the help of CoPress, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering student newspapers. It is the culmination of a summer-long process in building a site that would meet today’s needs.

We are in full control of the advertising and the many different sections and features we offer.

But what does this mean for you? A lot. Like many newsrooms around the country, ours is shifting its focus to the 24-hour online world.

On our previous site, we posted online editions Monday, Wednesday and Friday with a breaking news story or two in between, when they happened. Our new site will constantly update seven days per week with new stories, as they happen, on the home page, giving you plenty of reason to keep checking back.

We also provide functionality with every story we post. Find one you particularly liked? Hit the green “Tweet” button in the top left corner of it. Want to read more related stories? Scroll to the “Read more” section at the bottom of the story.

CM Life also continues to take advantage of social networking. Follow @CMLIFE on Twitter for up-to-the-minute updates on the latest news that concerns you. Become a fan of us on Facebook, which you can do with one click of the button on the right sidebar of our site.

Engaging the user

Another thing we want to do on the Web is engage you, the reader.

You are the eyes and ears of Central Michigan. We want you to offer your voice on everything that matters to you, whether it is yet another tuition increase, the search for a new university president or the latest football game.

We want you to chat with us and let us know what is going on in the community. Leave comments on stories. Join us when we host periodical chats via CoverItLive. We are listening and willing to talk with anybody looking for civil conversation.

This is not to say we will abandon our print product. We will continue to put together a great newspaper for you Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. If you are a student, you still need something to read in class, right?

But for a true 24-hour Central Michigan news source where you can read, engage and help cultivate conversation and ideas, from on- or off-campus, we have you covered.
Thank you for working with us, and we hope you enjoy our new site.

E-mail the author: Brian Manzullo