This content was published: September 12, 2012. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
PCC’s college newspaper – The Bridge – returns in a new online form
Photos and story by Jim Beriault
It’s been more than a decade since Portland Community College had a newspaper circulating around the campuses. Now a group of students and their faculty advisor are about to re-launch The Bridge, this time taking advantage of the global shift of traditional newspapers toward an online edition that will be available this month.
The first edition is slated for when students arrive back for classes, and the editors and writers are looking forward to making an impact with the re-launch of The Bridge. The online edition will be focused toward getting students up to date on college proceedings, activities and concerns. Additionally The Bridge will give students interested in journalism the experience they seek and a chance at writing for their college paper.
Erik Burlingame is The Bridge’s student editor and he feels that students should have a news forum while in college. “Students should have a voice that resonates within their campus and throughout the others. We live in a divisive time. There’s obstructionism in congress and occupation on Wall Street. I believe that broader communication of ideas and events among students will revitalize their spirit.”
The Bridge’s online version will have some advantages over its long gone printed cousin. “First, there are no printing and distribution costs. Second, we can add links to videos and music and we can link to our sources. For example, if we were to run a story about scholarships awarded to students, we could have a link to the PCC Foundation website,” said Tony Greiner, the faculty advisor for The Bridge.
Added Burlingame, “The Bridge, as it exists today, is entirely web-based, is still developing a functional advertising format for its platform, and is staffed by only four full-time students. The contrast is stark to its former printed edition 10 years ago, but by the end of the year, we hope that, with the support of the student body, The Bridge will be completely mended. Additionally each campus’ library has a bound collection of The Bridge. Sylvania’s collection dates back to the early seventies. I encourage students to explore them to get an idea of the paper’s heritage.”
The first issue is scheduled for publication on September 23, the Sunday before students return for Fall Term.
Students interested in submitting pieces for The Bridge – including stories, sketches, photographs, reviews and opinions – should contact the editor at their respective campus. If you’d like to be a regular contributor, or just have a story to submit, send an email to thebridge@pcc.edu One of the student editors will get back to you.
About Jim Beriault
A public relations and marketing professional with 23 years of experience in the Portland area. Beriault has spent most of his career working with clients and businesses in the healthcare, hospitality, education and entertainment industrie... more »
I am but the Cascade student editor. Jesse Day is stationed at Sylvania and is the managing editor for Fall term. Sam Matz is the editor stationed at Rock Creek. An editor for SE Center has yet to be hired.
Actually, I have a copy of the last edition of The Bridge back when Tami Steffenhagen was General Manager. The front page says “Here Lies The Bridge September 1964-May 2005. This marks the end of free speech. R.I.P.” So, not quite a decade since the last edition, but close!
Debbi,
I would relish the opportunity to read the last paper issue of The Bridge. The bound issues in the Sylvania library end at 2002.
Just let me know, Erik. I am here in the SY Library in the Library Administration Office. It’s been under plastic under a counter for years so it is in great shape! Anytime…
To Erik:
I was just wondering what the process is to become a candidate for the open editor position at SE. If you could point me in the right direction to more information about it I would really appreciate it.
Thanks,
Katy
I didn’t know how to access the newspaper until I searched through Google. I figured I would share the url, http://www.pccnewbridge.com/, just in case others are looking for it.
Thanks Tabitha, link has been added to the story!
I am happy to see The Bridge is online now. I was the editor (I believe in 1995) and was very sad when I learned the paper was shut down. It was touch and go when I was the editor and we did everything we could to keep the newspaper up and running. We were cut from a weekly publication of 30 some pages a week, to only 16 pages every other week. Way back then, many of us wanted to go Online with The Bridge but technology was still a bit complicated and we were not ready to make that leap!
It’s very exciting to know there has been an effort to make that vision come true.
Looking forward to taking American Sign Language at PCC the next few terms.