LETTER TO THE EDITOR: 'My time is up, and I thank you for yours'

The report of print’s death was greatly exaggerated.

Anyone saying print is dead is a fool. Print isn’t dying; it’s evolving.

For nearly eight years, I lived the newspaper business. But three years ago, I made the transition from the newsroom to the classroom, and it has been the most rewarding experience of my life.

In 2012, the Auburn journalism faculty voted to place me as the permanent editorial adviser for The Auburn Plainsman.

Since that time, we’ve won two Pacemaker Awards (college equivalent of the Pulitzer), a Best in Show for the University Heights shooting edition, multiple Society of Professional Journalists awards, shifted our news focus to a daily website accompanied by a print product with a week-long shelf life, increased visits, unique visitors and page views to our website by 1.5 million each, increased our Twitter following from less than 500 to more than 20,000, increased our Facebook following from less than 200 to more than 6,300, launched an Instagram account with a rapidly growing following, launched a YouTube account with a rapidly growing following, launched a Snapchat account, increased multimedia content on the website to include weekly shows “This Week on the Plains” and “This Week in Sports” and produced one of the most epic and iconic issues ever following the 2013 Iron Bowl that people even gave as Christmas gifts.

And that’s not even mentioning that our students have also landed jobs and internships at organizations such as the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Al.com, ESPN, Texas Monthly, the Montgomery Advertiser, the Opelika-Auburn News, Southern Living, Nylon, the Sporting News, the Houston Astros, the North Carolina governor’s office, NPR, WHNT, WSFA and many more.

The Plainsman’s content has also been featured on national outlets such as ESPN, CNN, NBC, FOX, ABC, NFL, E! and many more.

While change is always inevitable on a college newspaper staff, it is disappointing that the Auburn University Division of Student Affairs chose to disrupt the enormous progress that has been made to go into a different direction.

But what’s done is done.

I appreciate the words of support from The Plainsman staff more than they’ll ever know. I care about these students and their future more than they’ll ever know.

The uncertainty of The Plainsman’s future is concerning. For more than a century, The Plainsman has presented unbiased coverage of the University, many times in the face of administrative or SGA pressure. It would be a crying shame to see this pillar of the university crumble at the hands of bad decisions. Let’s hope that under this new student media umbrella, The Plainsman can continue to operate as “A Spirit That is Not Afraid.”

I’ve seen this unwavering spirit day in and day out in the newsroom, and I would like to thank all the staffs during the past three years, as a Plainsman alumnus and former adviser, for your service.

I would especially like to thank and acknowledge editors Robert Lee, Kelsey Davis, Becky Hardy, Emily Esleck and Jim Little for stepping up to the plate when no one else would. You all amaze and inspire me, and I will forever be a better person having gotten to know you and work with you.

I could thank almost every reporter that’s worked for The Plainsman these past three years, but I’m already over my word count and space is money.

So I’ll end this journey the best way I know how, through the words of one of the greatest Auburn men to ever live.

“My time is up, and I thank you for yours.” — Jim Fyffe

Austin Phillips is the former adviser to The Auburn Plainsman.