UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Did you know Penn State has been a leading school in offering newspaper subscriptions to its students for nearly 20 years? The Penn State Student Newspaper Readership Program (SNRP), a unit of Student Affairs, encourages newspaper readership among students at University Park and Penn State’s commonwealth campuses by providing them with access to daily newspapers at no additional cost with a student ID.

Penn State faculty who participate in the program by requiring newspaper readership as part of their coursework can receive a daily subscription of that paper for free. In addition, faculty will receive access to online classroom resources, case studies and additional teaching support materials made available by The New York Times and USA Today.

This program has been strongly supported by faculty across the University. Faculty have found it beneficial to include the newspaper as part of their curriculum because students come to realize what they are learning has real-life applications. Newspapers in the classroom help students stay apprised of current events and ensure students are getting news from legitimate sources.

“My goal is that [students] are using a reliable source like the New York Times after they graduate. My main intention is to make sure that they are critical readers and media consumers,” said Tobias Brinkmann, Malvin and Lea Bank Associate Professor of Jewish Studies and History. Brinkmann uses the newspaper in his history and Jewish study classes; he asks students to locate an article on a certain country or figure and quizzes them as a way to encourage skimming the paper regularly.

“Reading the newspaper increases students’ awareness of what is happening in the world as it relates to their major or internships,” said Diane Spokus, senior instructor and associate director of undergraduate professional development of health policy and administration. “I encourage them to read to keep updated on current events because it might be a good conversation piece when they are interviewing for a position.” Spokus facilitates a “What’s New” discussion in her classes, which allows students to participate in a 10-minute-long student-led discussion on what they have read and learned from the news of the day.

Faculty interested in receiving the free newspapers for use in their classrooms should email the Penn State Student Newspaper Readership Program at newspapers@psu.edu and provide their contact information, office address, and a copy of the course syllabus requiring student newspaper readership as an email attachment. The New York Times and USA Today are available at most Penn State campuses. The Centre Daily Times is available as a local paper at University Park. Not all local papers at other campuses offer faculty subscriptions.

Penn State was one of the first universities to bring national and local newspapers to its students and has always valued the power of reputable news as a classroom tool. Students can gain tremendous skills by making newspaper readership a daily habit. Not only do students get exposed to highly reputable news sources, but they also read a broad range of topics, current events and issues.