Guess who's reading old school newspapers? College editors say their stacks always dwindle

At a time when physical newspaper circulation in Canada has decreased, one campus newspaper in Ontario has seen demand for words printed on actual paper skyrocket. 

The Interrobang at Fanshawe College in London saw the pick up rate for its print edition rise 30 per cent over the past four years, with an average of 2000 newspapers being read biweekly by students. 

"Being able to feel it makes the experience more real, as opposed to when you're doing it on the phone," said student Nathan McIlwain, explaining that the artwork on the front cover first drew him in. 

The Interrobang's print newspaper pickup rate has increased every year since the COVID-19 pandemic, and so has the number of copies they are printing. 

Between the 2019 and 2023 academic year, the pick up rate rose from 57 per cent to 87 per cent, after dipping during the pandemic. That was a time many student papers switch completely to online publications, and most have not switched back. 

"We saw so many student newspapers make that switch [to digital only] during COVID and I don't blame them for making that decision at all," said Editor Hannah Theodore.

"I feel very strongly about having a physical newspaper still. There's just an excitement that this publication exists and [students] are able to engage with it as frequently as every other week." 

The rise in the Interrobang's print readership is happening while physical newspaper circulation is down in the country. 

Data collected by News Media Canada found that nearly 30 million newspapers were printed per week across the country in 2023. In 2024, that number went down to close to 28 million newspapers per week. 

Students interested in physical media, artwork

So why are students reading the print copy when the information can be found on their phones? 

"I find it easier to read through a paper than online because it's easier to be able to keep your eyes focused on an actual physical copy," said second-year student Ashley Partington, who reads it find events to attend. 

Theodore said she has heard feedback from readers that the Interrobang's covers, which are designed by Fanshawe's fine art and graphic design students, tend to draw people in. 

"I think for our students especially, our paper really reflects that creative side to a lot of the programs here," Theodore said. 

Print editions of the Interrobang are distributed at 50 newspaper boxes across Fanshawe's main campus, along with Fanshawe's other campuses and Western University. 

But not all students are drawn to the campus newspaper. 

"I'm actually surprised that it still exists," said Adriana Morales, a first-year Fanshawe student who has not picked up a physical copy of the newspaper during her first few days on campus.

"It's not that I'm not interested, but it's mostly because I just think about the waste, like once you're done reading it, what do you do with it?" Morales said, adding that she typically gets her news online and is used to the immediacy of social media. 

Theodore said the Interrobang also has a focus on its online presence. All of its print stories are put on the Interrobang's website, and the newspaper switches to an online-only format during the summer months. 

"But during the school year, it's really all about the print edition," Theodore said. 

She said the Interrobang team has already seen a good response to their first edition of the newspaper this school year and are having conversations about increasing the number of printed copies going forward.

"It's great seeing a stand that's been completely cleaned out of papers, but we want to make sure that we still have papers there if a student wants one," said Theodore.