Cornell University Collegiate Readership Program

Cornell University Collegiate Readership Program

Total Newspapers Read 2004-2006

168,262560/day

154,854516/day

New York TimesUSA TODAY

Summary: A total of 323,126 newspapers read during 2004-2006, for

an average of 1,077 papers read per day

48% 52%

Current Campus Locations

Alice Cooke House

Appell Commons

Balch Hall

Carl Becker House

Collegetown

Court Hall North

Duffield Hall

Hans Bethe House

Kennedy Hall - Trillium Dining

Martha Van Rensselaer Hall

Mary Donlon Hall

Noyes Community Center

Olin Library Café

Robert Purcell Community Center

Risley Hall

Statler Hall

Willard Straight Hall

The Collegiate Readership Program newspaper displays are conveniently located throughout North, West and Central campus and Collegetown. Displays are located

in living/learning environments, in academic buildings and community centers.

Related Events

Ken Paulson, editor of USA TODAY, spoke at Willard Straight Hall on April 7, 2005 on the topic “Freedom with Responsibility.” Mr. Paulson had previously been the Executive Director at the First Amendment Center.

USA TODAY Senior Diplomatic Reporter Barbara Slavin spoke at the Ivy Council Summit at Columbia University in January 2006.

Student Testimonials

• Michelle Fernandes

Vice President of Finance for the Student Assembly

• Joshua Bronstein

Vice President of Finance for the Student Assembly

• Erica Fink

News Editor of The Cornell Daily Sun

Interview with Michelle Fernandes, Vice President of Finance for the Student Assembly

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The Collegiate Readership Program Newsletter – Winter 2006Spotlight on Cornell University

Cornell University has provided students with a selection of newspapers delivered to convenient campus locations since the Fall of 2004. The Collegiate Readership Program at Cornell is student led, student driven, and student focused. Although it was extremely rare for an outside organization to be part of the Cornell Student Activity Fee, The Collegiate Readership Program was unanimously supported by the Student Assembly.

Interview with Michelle Silva Fernandes, Student Assembly:USA TODAY: From your perspective, what are some of the goals that The Collegiate Readership Program has achieved since it was implemented last year?I think the Readership Program has been a great service for students. It has been student led, student driven, and student focused, and has really brought more than just free newspapers to campus. It has served to connect the campus to world events, and has been instrumental in increasing the level of civic engagement on campus, by having the news easily accessible to students and encouraging them to take an active interest. USA TODAY: Has the program met the expectations of your organization?The Program has definitely exceeded the expectations of the Cornell University Student Assembly. It is extremely rare that the Assembly funds an outside organization, and there was initial hesitation. However, the Program’s success speaks volumes, and the Assembly is pleased with our decision. Readership is at its maximum, and students not only give the program rave reviews, but also have been asking for more. Given its success these past two years, we have just approved an increase in the amount of money given to the program, so next year we will be able to reach an even larger percentage of students. USA TODAY: What initiatives have the Cornell University Student Assembly taken to increase student awareness of civic issues?The Cornell University Student Assembly has taken several initiatives in the past few years to increase student awareness of civic issues. Just last year we helped sponsor a University-wide Mock Election, which mirrored the 2004 Presidential election, and included events like the National 3rd Party Presidential Debate, and speeches by Senator Chuck Schumer and DNC Chairman Howard Dean. More recently, we sponsored the Freedom with Responsibility program, a three-part lecture series aimed at addressing Free Speech issues at Cornell. The series featured lectures on the First Amendment, a Digital Copyright Forum, and an Academic Integrity Forum. USA TODAY: Describe the series of events that were a part of the Freedom With Responsibility.The lecture series was the cornerstone of the Freedom with Responsibility series. USA TODAY Editor Ken Paulson kicked off the series by engaging students and faculty in a conversation about the First Amendment. Mr. Paulsen not only gave his campus-wide speech, but also met with members of the Student Assembly and our campus newspaper, the Cornell Daily Sun, in a more intimate setting. Finally, Mr. Paulsen spoke during several classes throughout his time on campus, which enhanced the experience for all involved. The Digital Copyright Forum included speakers from Napster and Campus Computing officials, and was also very highly attended. Music Downloading is a contentious issue for college students, and the Forum included some lively debate. Finally, the Academic Integrity Forum was the last part of the series, and featured Campus administration officials discussing the significance and importance attached to Academic Integrity issues. USA TODAY: Could you talk about the level of interest or enthusiasm that your students showed toward the Freedom With Responsibility lecture series?Students were very enthusiastic about the Freedom with Responsibility series, as each topic addressed issues that were very salient in Cornell life. Students were impressed with the speakers that we were able to bring on campus, and we were lucky to have the Readership Program’s help in that area. We received a good deal of positive feedback about the series from both students and faculty, and are hoping to have a similar program in the near future.

Josh Bronstein, Vice President of Finance for the Student Assembly

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From: Joshua W Bronstein [mailto:jwb33@cornell.edu]Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2005 9:50 PMTo: Irwin, RobinSubject: Cornell SA Testimonial

Having worked with the Collegiate Readership Program and the wonderful people at USA Today throughout my four years at Cornell, I have come to realize the positive contribution the program has made on our campus.The Readership Program at Cornell was student led, student driven, and student focused. Although it was extremely rare and technically forbidden for an outside organization to be part of our Student Activity Fee, the Readership Program was unanimously supported by our Student Assembly. After fighting for the program during my first two years at Cornell and watching its successful implementation during my second two years, I strongly believe that our campus is a better place with it than without it. The Readership Program is about more then just “free newspapers.” It is about having the news readily available and encouraging students to open their eyes. Having a newspaper sitting on the table in a dining hall or on the chair next to him in the student lounge means a student is more likely to actually read it.With budgetary requests skyrocketing over the past four years, making funding decisions was one of my most challenging experiences at Cornell. The Collegiate Readership Program was a priority of mine, however, because I saw firsthand the value that it brought to my peers.There is no substitute for widespread availability of newspapers on a college campus, and the Readership Program has been a phenomenal resource for Cornell’s students.

Best,Josh

Erica Fink, The Cornell Daily Sun, News Editor

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From: Erica Fink [mailto:ebf6@cornell.edu]Sent: Tuesday, July 05, 2005 10:37 PMTo: Irwin, RobinSubject: RE: Article in The Cornell Daily Sun

It's really an honor to see your name on the cover of a newspaper that sits next to The New York Times or USA Today on the rack. I've had that experience a few times, thanks to the Collegiate Readership Program. As a News Editor of The Cornell Daily Sun, I love having the choice of story coverage to enjoy with my morning coffee. For me, the larger papers put the local news that I take an active part in writing in to a bigger context.

The presence of black and white around the Big Red makes for good conversation, too. Many students grab a Times or a USA Today on their way into dining halls -- whether or not they plan to sit with friends -- and when a paper's on the table, the news is frequently what they end up discussing. On more than a couple occasions, I have seen students form opinions on issues they never even knew existed over a bagel or some sushi.

And at Cornell, opinions frequently lead to action. In the last semester alone, there have been a number of student-led protests. Whether the demonstrations are against the construction of a parking lot, or the war on Iraq, it is clear that students are not only following current events, but are taking them to heart. Plus, we're a school where plenty of students do not have TVs in their rooms and where nearly no one is around to watch the11 o'clock news, so there is an obvious dependency on the written word.

On a more personal note, the CRP has been an opportunity for me to meet a leader in the industry I'd like to pursue. Ken Paulson spoke at Cornell on the role of the First Amendment with some of the other editors and I in the audience, and really got the newsroom abuzz that night; we actually went back to the office afterward and put some of lines he quoted up on the walls. Interviewing him was pretty awe-inspiring: he not only gave me good advice but some quotable tidbits, too.

The CRP has been an important addition to Cornell, and one that I have truly enjoyed.

~Erica FinkSun News Editor04/28/2005

Educational Benchmarking, Inc. (EBI) Readership Study Findings

• Students who read a newspaper were significantly more likely to be able to articulate their views on major issues and to be civically engaged than those who did not read a newspaper.

• Students who were required to read the newspaper for class were significantly more likely to be informed about local, national and international issues and to be engaged on campus and in the classroom than those who were not required to read a newspaper.

• There was a strong correlation between reading local, national and international news and developing civic-mindedness and cognitive skills.