Many have predicted the plight that print journalism will face with the advent of the Internet, and as many newspapers started to redirect their focus on web-based news, Technician followed suit in 2004 to get its first website. But as website platforms advanced and as multimedia storytelling took off, Technician never capitalized on the changes — until this semester.

Our website address hasn’t changed, but our look has. The new www.technicianonline.com, hosted by the service TownNews, offers new interactive and multimedia capabilities that our previous platform lacked, all with a clean layout. No longer will our website act as a digital graveyard to archive our stories. It will be an interactive tool to inform you on University, Raleigh and state news.

Technician is not only a media outlet to inform N.C. State students, faculty and staff, but as a student-run organization, it is a didactic tool to help train students for communication fields. The reality is that the media is evolving, and though we may not be reading all our news on newsprint, we’re still consuming information nonetheless, and we need to train students how to serve those needs. Though the print product has been and will continue to be our flagship product, our website will no longer serve as shovelware.

Our new website will include photo galleries, audio slideshows, reader polls and video features that will give Technician the capacity to extensively cover campus news and showcase the work of students. 

As switching to a new content management system provides its fair share of inconveniences, this switch was worth it, and I hope it makes the experience better for you as the reader. If you encounter any problems or have any suggestions, please drop me a line at editor@technicianonline.com. Otherwise, enjoy our new website, and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter,

@NCSUTechnician.