A newspaper is needed to maintain a functioning society, but the reality is that this fourth estate (the media) is in jeopardy and you have a vested interest in helping The Daily Eastern News survive by holding us accountable.

An economy that has sunk some of our country’s best newspapers has come to Charleston. Our publisher decided a few weeks ago that DEN sports writers cannot attend away games anymore because of the financial predicament. And as some readers have already noticed, The DEN has been publishing eight page newspapers every Monday for a few weeks instead of the usual 12 pages.

The sad truth is that this trend will continue. Financial predictions are forcing The DEN‘s leaders to plan for two eight-page newspapers per week to begin the spring semester.

And while an advertising decline of more than 30 percent, as reported in October, is drastic and worthy of much concern, I wouldn’t want to advertise with a newspaper that few people read either.

I could just as well take The DEN out of this article and replace it with The Chicago Tribune and my writing would be just as accurate. I think readers are bored with this medium and either go elsewhere for their information or go uninformed.

The difference is that The DEN has student fees to fall back on, which would prevent the complete demise of the publication.

Every student pays approximately $4.50 per year for more than 170 issues of The DEN, an issue of The Warbler yearbook, numerous issues of Minority Today and two issues of Eastern’s literary magazine, The Vehicle.

As reductions go, coverage losses are seen in all newspapers facing this predicament. But The DEN is here for you, and if you utilize this forum in ways you may not know how to, then I would think advertisers would return because more people would be reading what you have to say.

Case and point: this country absolutely needs its fourth estate of government. How else would you know who the University Board has chosen for the Spring Concert, why Billy the Panther was brought back or what changes are being made to the required Electronic Writing Portfolio?

If more students, faculty, staff, community members, alums and parents pick up the newspaper, then advertisements placed next to the stories would be more valuable. You may also actually want the information the advertisements are offering.

I know I found my apartment by reading through The DEN while waiting for my advising appointment, and I’m sure the same will go for future students.

Utilize this great communication tool by creating public relations officers or sending us newsletters. Don’t do this for The DEN‘s sake, do this for your sake because information in your hands is power.

I want the best for a newspaper that has allowed me to grow and mature further than any class would have. I don’t want to see it become a weekly newspaper, but this ivory tower we’ve built inside Buzzard Hall must be torn down before The DEN can grow again.

Rick Kambic is a journalism major. He can be reached at 581-7942 or at DENopinions@gmail.com.