The Communicator (IPFW)

The Communicator, a 3,000 biweekly circulation, is an independent student newspaper at IPFW (Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne). IPFW has more than 12,000 full- and part-time students, and has grown considerably over the past 10 years. The Communicator brand is often redesigned as new design students filter into the newsroom. The publication changed from a broadsheet to a tabloid format in fall 2012, embracing the style of many alternative weeklies; however, in spring 2016 the editors decided to revert to broadsheet in order to emphasize their support and goal of professional journalism and allow for more advertisement and content space.
Basic Stats
*Publishing house: KPC Media Group
*Publishing software: Adobe InDesign running on Apple iMacs
*The Communicator's parent company is IPSN Inc.
Features
The paper, as previously mentioned, has undergone many changes with many different editors. The paper has changed in size and become much smaller and compact. The sections have also changed; "News & Politics" and "Arts & Entertainment" have given way to "News" and "Culture." From 2012-14 the paper employed a spread section called "The Dig," the brainchild of former editor and now publisher Kristan (Mensch) Seitz, in which editors wrote enterprise stories on rotation. The section died out in 2014 when the staff was mostly new and hadn't yet gotten into feature writing.
The paper, in coordination with CollegeHoopsNet, broke a national story in 2005 when the school hired Dane Fife as its head basketball coach, making him the youngest coach currently at a Division I level. The story broke on the paper's website.
In spring 2006, the paper made news by printing the controversial cartoons of the Muslim prophet Muhammad. It was one of the few American papers to do such at the time and just the fourth college newspaper in the country to do so.
In fall 2009, The Communicator introduced a weekly sports article called "The Fish Picks vs. Pea Predictions" written by Lucas Fisher (a.k.a. The Fish) and Logan Pea. The article consisted of Fisher and Pea choosing the best games of the week and picking/predicting a winner and why they will win. In the first year, both Fisher and Pea finished with records of 82-78 and in the second year, they tied again going 128-117.
In February 2010, the Communicator website was completely redesigned by former web editor Craig Lloyd and sees thousands of page views weekly. Craig also produced a weekly audio podcast series called "The CommuniCast" from April 2010 to April 2011. It was first hosted by Lloyd and contributing writer Alex Axthelm, in which they discussed the week in technology. Later on, new hosts Preston Patillo and Lindsay Sprunger took the reins and added various other topics on top of technology. The CommuniCast" stopped broadcasting in 2011.
Highly Notable Awards (since 2004)
*2013 Division II Best Themed Issue—Indiana College Press Association
*2013 Division II Newspaper of the Year Third Place—Indiana Collegiate Press Association
*2011 Online Pacemaker Finalist - Associated Collegiate Press
*2007 Division II Newspaper of the Year - Indiana Collegiate Press Association
*2006 Best of Show Honorable Mention - Associated Collegiate Press
*2006 Division II Newspaper of the Year Runner-Up - Indiana Collegiate Press Association
*2006 Advertising Newspaper of the Year Runner-Up - Indiana Collegiate Press Association
*2004 Nick Altman, Cartoon/Illustration Honorable Mention - Columbia Scholastic Press Association
*2004 Eugene Harding and Dan Vance, Single Subject Black & White Honorable Mention - Columbia Scholastic Press Association
Notable alumni
*Former IPFW Director of Alumni Relations Jennifer Bosk helped establish the paper in 1969.
*United States Congressman Mark Souder
*Tony Laux, former Sports Editor, died from a fall in Puerto Rico in 2004 while a manager for the IPFW men's volleyball team
Editors in chief (2002 - Present)
*Bernadette Becker and Brittany Smith: Fall 2018-Spring 2019
*Mikaela Conley: Fall 2015 - Present
*Dustin Keeslar: Fall 2014 - Spring 2015
*Dustin Keeslar and Logan (Hursh) Childers: Fall 2014
*Laura (Rosenbaum) Swangin: Fall 2013 - Spring 2014
*Kristan (Mensch) Seitz: Fall 2011 - Spring 2013
*Kelly McLendon: Fall 2010 - Spring 2011
*Aaron Greene: Fall 2009 - Spring 2010
*Said El-Dajani: Fall 2008 - Spring 2009
*Jessie Ruckman: Fall 2007 - Spring 2008
*Jenna Lauber: Spring 2007
*Tracy Kerns: Fall 2006
*Brianna Belford: Spring 2006
*Anthony Maurer: Fall 2005
*Andrew Welfle: Spring 2005
*Scott M. Lawson: Fall 2003 - Fall 2004
*Renee Thompson: Spring 2003
*Kathy Delagrange: Spring 2002 - Fall 2002

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