The Ball State Daily News


The Ball State Daily News or known locally as the Daily News is the student newspaper of Ball State University, located in Muncie, Indiana.

History

The Daily News traces its roots to 1922, when the paper first published under the name The Easterner. The name, Easterner was derived from the name of the school at the time, Indiana State Normal School – Eastern Division. In 1937 the newspaper changed its name to Ball State News and again in 1968 to the Ball State Daily News. There were several other student run newspapers published at Ball State, including the rival newspapers the Only Alternative and the Right Guard. Garfield creator, Jim Davis was a cartoonist for the newspaper during his undergraduate years before graduating in 1967.

Current

As a college newspaper, the Daily News editors rotate yearly if not more frequent intervals. Originally printed daily, the newspaper has since focused on web articles and only publishes a print edition on a weekly basis during the academic year except during exams or vacations. In 2017, the print newspaper switched from a broad-sheet format to a tabloid style. The newspaper is available free to students at various locations on the university campus. The paper has a circulation of 8,000. Students are also responsible for maintaining the up-to-the-minute Web version of the paper.

Awards and Honors

The Daily News was among the first student publications to be inducted into the Associated Collegiate Press’ Hall of Fame in 1988. The newspaper won the national pacemaker award in 2019.
The Daily News also produces podcasts which have earned recognition from U.S. News and World Report's The Paper Trail, a blog that tracks national campus news. The Paper Trail listed the Daily News' podcasts among the best alternative media outlets in its Best of College Newspapers 2007 poll. The podcast has since stopped releasing new segments. In 2020, the newspaper and a former video editor were recognized with a Lower Great Lakes Regional Emmy in editing for the documentary, "Living Form," which tells the story of a local master mask maker.