A Textbook That Goes Beyond the Classroom

I was really excited when I found out that I would be required to sign up for a subscription to the Wall Street Journal for Organization and Management class this semester.

Whereas I normally rely on getting news from newspapers provided in certain areas of campus, the assignment to sign up for the Wall Street Journal will literally put the paper in my hands everyday. This will help me stay up-to-date on world affairs and current events, which is important to people in the PR industry and was also one thing I wanted to work on this year. I also feel that making myself a consistent newsreader will benefit my writing.

I have to give the Wall Street Journal a lot of credit for keeping itself relevant in today's increasingly digital world. On its front page, in the "What's News" section, the Journal offers brief excerpts of the articles it contains. This enables busy people to glimpse the news now and go back and read more in-depth information later. It also allows people to go directly to articles that catch their attention and skip over others without having to sift through the full-length articles themselves.

Another great thing is that the Journal also accommodates people who prefer electronic news by directing people to its website for additional information on articles. Additionally, subscription to the print edition entitles readers to an online account that can be completely personalized in terms of what headlines make priority, which companies are profiled in the online business section, etc. Readers can use their online profiles to sign up for newsletters and news alerts, save favorite articles and track articles by topic online as well. What's more, the Journal has reached out to students, members of a new generation who are much more inclined toward the Internet than to reading print material, by offering them a discounted rate and by integrating student-friendly features into its online accounts.

It seems as though the Journal has worked hard to ensure that its print and online editions complement each other, and I really admire its ability to change with the times. I look forward to becoming an avid reader of the Journal and will be sure to blog about information I find therein!