The Lakeland Mirror’s first print edition in over three years has arrived. 

The original print version of The Mirror was established in 1936 as Lakeland’s primary student-run news publication, but the organization has met its greatest changes over the past few years. 

In February of 2012, to meet the demands of media in the digital age, lakelandmirror.com went online. For the next three years, Mirror content was published both on the website and in the monthly, full-length print edition. 

Then came the April 2015 cover story: “The Mirror transitions to online platform.” Beneath the headline sat a picture of then-editors smiling and pointing at a computer screen with our homepage on it. Step forward or not, priorities switched from content-packed monthly releases to daily coverage and social media presence. All-weekend editing parties that ran late into nights were traded for a 24/7 on-call mentality. 

Plenty of huge stories have broken on The Mirror website, but for some long-time readers, the print product has been mourned since its exit. April 2015’s “goodbye” issue highlighted a number of readers’ opinions on the news. Included were speculation of budget cuts and the sentiment that despite the power of the web, print media was, in fact, thriving. 

One thing’s for sure: Whether it’s in your hands, in your drawer or in front of your door, physical media has value, and now, it’s just one of the avenues The Mirror team has decided to explore going forward. 

To do so, we hope to expand our group of news writers by inviting anyone interested in giving the students of Lakeland a voice on our paper. As part of our staff, they will refine their writing and communication skills through weekly assignments and produce a product that exemplifies desired skills that employers in any industry want to see more of.  

We also have room for anyone interested in learning the ins and outs of producing a podcast. Following the lead of our podcast editor, staff will learn proper equipment usage, how to hold a segment meeting and how to record and edit a podcast. There’s also ample opportunity for students to generate ideas for our new television program, created mainly from student ideas. 

With new media outlets ready for exploration, our staff encourages anyone who’s open to applying their creativity, their originality and their skill to join us. Whether you think you’re best at public speaking, writing or even digital design, The Mirror has a place for you to apply yourself and produce something innovative.