In our January 2014 issue, the Free Press hinted at a strategy that was under development—a project that will transform how we reach out to our readership by positioning new outlets for interpersonal communication. Over the winter break, many steps have been made in the process of achieving this goal, and today we are proud to announce that the installation of Free Press iPads will be coming to The New School campus.

Polling public opinion is an important component of journalism; it is necessary to an informed and committed democratic press. It is essential for us to establish an open dialogue with our audience. The iPad project will not just provide a new way to consume the news, but it will establish easily accessible lines of feedback and will conduct statistical sampling, which is a key step in evaluating the state of our community.

Many students and groups on campus have expressed a lack of comprehensive communication channels for The New School community, and desire for a central source of news, events and activities on campus. Utilizing the iPads, the Free Press intends to create an infrastructure that will establish a centrally-managed channel that brings you closer to the news.

By engaging our audience in a way that is smart, inviting and based directly within the social ecology of day-to-day interactions, we can expand our informational reach in a more personal way.

We received funding for this project from the Lang Student Union and will work in the coming months to install the iPads in 14 high-traffic locations across campus. After acquiring and preparing the hardware, we will undergo the software development and programming process.

The Free Press is eager to bring this project to the community and we would love to hear any feedback or suggestions that you, The New School community, have to offer.