2008 Woodie Awards
Online publication focuses on features
Former CM Life reporter heads digital magazine
By: Mark Biller
Issue date: 2/22/08 Section: News
Grand Central Magazine is Central Michigan University's first registered student organization that is a student-run online-only publication.
After writing for Central Michigan Life for two years, Grand Central Editor-in-Chief Ben LaMothe, said he wanted to see a publication on campus that focused on feature stories.
"We're not interested in hard news and we're not interested in coverage, both of which CM Life already does very well," the Bloomfield Hills senior said. "Our angle is different."
That angle, LaMothe said, is to let students collectively come up with interesting feature ideas and then let them write those stories.
Sterling Heights senior Alexis Kowaleski said she enjoys writing for the online publication because if she has a topic in mind, she usually can write about it.
"I can't pay you, so you might as well have fun," LaMothe said.
Photojournalism professor Kent Miller, the publication's adviser, said he hopes to be able to pay the magazine's staff in the future.
It is funded by the journalism department and put out by the department's Central Online News Association, Miller said.
Miller said he does not yet know how many visitors the site needs to attract before it will appeal to advertisers. He said his main goal was to launch the project.
LaMothe said he is not interested in having a tangible magazine.
"There's no reason to go in print," he said. "The future of print media is online. Why enter a field that already struggles with the Internet?"
There are six editors and 35 active writers at the online publication, and there is room for more of each, Miller said. He said the magazine needs an editor for the multimedia, technology and travel sections, and possibly for a health and fitness section the staff is considering.
"We'll take photographers too," Miller said.
Students, staff and faculty can view the Web site at grandcentralmagazine.com.
news@cm-life.com
After writing for Central Michigan Life for two years, Grand Central Editor-in-Chief Ben LaMothe, said he wanted to see a publication on campus that focused on feature stories.
"We're not interested in hard news and we're not interested in coverage, both of which CM Life already does very well," the Bloomfield Hills senior said. "Our angle is different."
That angle, LaMothe said, is to let students collectively come up with interesting feature ideas and then let them write those stories.
Sterling Heights senior Alexis Kowaleski said she enjoys writing for the online publication because if she has a topic in mind, she usually can write about it.
"I can't pay you, so you might as well have fun," LaMothe said.
Photojournalism professor Kent Miller, the publication's adviser, said he hopes to be able to pay the magazine's staff in the future.
It is funded by the journalism department and put out by the department's Central Online News Association, Miller said.
Miller said he does not yet know how many visitors the site needs to attract before it will appeal to advertisers. He said his main goal was to launch the project.
LaMothe said he is not interested in having a tangible magazine.
"There's no reason to go in print," he said. "The future of print media is online. Why enter a field that already struggles with the Internet?"
There are six editors and 35 active writers at the online publication, and there is room for more of each, Miller said. He said the magazine needs an editor for the multimedia, technology and travel sections, and possibly for a health and fitness section the staff is considering.
"We'll take photographers too," Miller said.
Students, staff and faculty can view the Web site at grandcentralmagazine.com.
news@cm-life.com
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Nicky Lockman
posted 2/22/08 @ 9:52 AM EST
As a photographer for Grand Central, I would like to thank CM Life for this article. I understand there have been some hard feelings between our publications. (Continued…)
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