Category: Engagement

For this week’s class, the assignment is to critique both of the print and all of the online editions from this week. Post your comments in the Responses:Critique category.

• Meme/Satire edition once a year or once a semester; this type of journalism really resonates with our generation and I think the DI doesn’t always have the best engagement with students at the university. This would also give the DI a chance to connect with students from across the country.
• Create another sector of the website for reader’s to submit their ideas: what do students/our community want us to cover? Do they want more videos, photos, graphics, etc.? We can’t always predict what the community wants to read or hear about as students; we are kind of in our own bubble as college students. This sector could also include polls or surveys to better narrow down content
• Daily Illini Snapchat – students may not want to wait for us to produce a video following a sporting event, music event, protest, etc. so why not show them what is happening live. Snapchat is arguably the most used app of our generation and could better connect us to students. It would also be a good way to “tease” our more professional content so when we do put a video or a story out about the event people will be more enticed to check it out.

• More pointed social media
  • To me our social media presence seems neutered in a way. Trying very hard to be hyper professional but in a boring way
  • Try to have more of an edge, though in what way I’m not sure
• Improve video
  • These also tend to be edited in what’s trying to be hyper professional but often seem kind of boring
  • This seems harder since there are less in person events to video, and I don’t want to see zoom recordings ever
• Including sound bites from interviews on the website
  • Just like Professor Meyer suggested, and this should be easier than normal because interviews over zoom can be a lot easier to record than in person with background noise
• Meme Edition
  • Agree with Cassidy on a Comedic Edition
  • I was a big fan of the Black Sheep and they went under, maybe we could have a regular section in our paper that is satirical in some way. it could be something interesting to push in our social media as well

• Create an(other) app
  • Allows people to submit events they’d like us to cover, businesses they’d like us to feature.
• Find ways to include quizzes on the website
  • What UIUC location are you?
  • Answer these questions and we’ll predict your major
• Create some sort of website where people can leave anonymous reviews on housing?
  • Could be an interesting way to get the tea on what places are bad to live, what places have bugs, what places have poor management, etc. This could allow us to get more information about the places in town and perhaps get in touch with people who live in these places (I know this is a bit of a stretch).
• Could perhaps put on some sort of show (post-COVID, for sure)
  • This could be something for buzz. Like a talent show/house show of sorts. Could give out a cash reward but maybe charge for entry and have our photographers/writers cover it.
• It could be cool to have our own photographers/writers travel to cover big events so we’re not just taking submitted photos all the time
• There’s a school paper that does a joke paper once a year. I feel like it could really up engagement to do something like that maybe once a semester. Something where there’s joke articles, or photos. It could be a meme edition, if you will.