When students walked into Communication 325 (New Media and Digital Communication) for the first class of the semester in late August, none of the students would have likely thought that the class would end up developing a website (Comm 2.0), Facebook page or Twitter account.  However, with the guidance of Casey Schmitt, assistant professor of communication, they have successfully constructed all three and are set for an official launch of their website on Thursday, Oct. 1. The focus of Comm 2.0 is to highlight the effect of new media and digital media on the Lakeland community as well as the nation and world.

New media and digital media is an ever expanding facet of our society. There are more digital platforms than ever before and the growth of these platforms in media is only becoming greater. Take the Mirror for example, it is a publication that has chosen to go solely digital; while this is discomforting to some, it is a paradigm shift that is occurring in news media that cannot be ignored. Not only is it occurring in news media but in other facets of industry. Publishing companies like McGraw Hill and Penguin Group have turned to eBooks as a focus in their changing industry.

Since both the Mirror and Comm 2.0 are news based organizations on Lakeland’s campus it seemed fitting that they work together. Schmitt said “we are both small publications on campus and are both aimed at giving students more of a voice and a chance to build their writing skills.”  With the paring of Comm 2.0 and the Mirror both are hoping to reach the whole of Lakeland’s student body and the local community.

“The Mirror and Comm 2.0 are a natural fit for one another,” Schmitt said.

These two organizations coming together is important for promotion purposes for both. Also, there are quite a few people in both the Mirror and Communication 325 so they can easily support and add to one another. They differ in the sense that the Mirror is for local and college based news, while Comm 2.0 hopes to encompass more national and international news involving new media and digital communication. Schmitt said, “The website (Comm 2.0) is a space for Lakeland students to engage, discuss, and write about emerging issues in new media and digital communication.”

To see the new Comm 2.0 site, go to http://lakelandcom.weebly.com.