FIU closes deal with Wall Street Journal

By: Joshua Ceballos/News Director

 

Panthers interested in getting inside business information as well as updates on news now have a new outlet as FIU Libraries has secured a deal with the Wall Street Journal.

On Apr. 18, 2018 FIU and the Wall Street Journal closed a deal that will allow students and professors at the University to have access to a free Wall Street Journal subscription as well as access to the WSJ app.

In an interview with Student Media, Steven Severinghaus, the senior communications director for the Journal said that about two years ago, talks began at the Journal for how to expand their readership.

After doing research into their reader base, they found that despite the perception that mostly older people read their paper, a lot of their subscribers were college age. This finding, according to Severinghaus, was very pleasing to hear, and it came with a few realizations.

“The college generation and recent college graduates see a huge value in paying for quality content, which we didn’t expect with so much free information on the internet nowadays,” said Severinghaus. “We also learned that students and younger people don’t want a dumbed down or more youthful version of the Journal, they want the full journal experience.”

The Journal then took the opportunity to reach out to college campuses across the U.S. in order to offer their students memberships and expose them to the content of the Journal. FIU is not the only university to be partnered with their publication, though Severinghaus said that they are excited to be involved with FIU because of its large student body and number of faculty.

“We don’t feel that the Wall Street Journal is specific for people already in their careers, we think that reading it on a daily basis is great for people looking for their first job and for helping them get the career they want,” said Severinghaus.

Alex Andreadis, marketing manager for student memberships at the Wall Street Journal, told Student Media over the phone that as part of the membership, FIU students and faculty can now subscribe on WSJ.com for free access to all articles posted on the site. One can also download the WSJ app on a smartphone or tablet to receive the same content, as well as daily updates as breaking news occurs.

Panthers will also have access to WSJ+, a premier membership service that gives members access to and updates on local networking events and lifestyle updates in their area, including conferences, talks, and breakfasts centered around politics and other topics, according to Severinghaus.

“This is an innovative way that we bring our membership to life for the people in our communities, and so the subscribers to the Journal aren’t just subscribers, they’re part of the larger picture,” said Andreadis.

Gonzalo Goicochea, a senior majoring in logistics, told Student Media that he himself keeps updated on business news through apps like Morning Brew that give daily alerts on things going on in the business world. Since hearing about the partnership with the Wall Street Journal, Goicochea has downloaded the app and is still deciding whether or not he prefers it.

“I like how [the Journal] doesn’t only focus on big business, there’s also an article tab on supply chain management and there’s also digital trends,” said Goicochea. “You also get WSJ+, and I recently got an email about a dinner in Miami this summer for exclusive members, I find that very interesting.”

Joanne Li, dean of FIU’s College of Business, told Student Media in an interview that in her previous job she fostered a relationship with the Wall Street Journal, and that she sees business publications such as the Journal as important for distinguishing students.

“I often think that when you have students that stay in touch with current business news, they really develop a strong business acumen, so I made it a mission when I was a professor to incorporate business journals as part of the curriculum,” said Li.

Since becoming Dean of the COB in May of 2017, Li said she has started a number of initiatives to elevate the students at FIU, whom she already felt were competitive and energetic when she arrived, and a partnership with the Journal was one more for the list.

Though the deal was completed between the Wall Street Journal and FIU Libraries due to logistics with site licensing, according to Li, the original talks began with her and the COB.

Li said that after negotiating with a contact at the Wall Street Journal, she learned about the chance for FIU to get membership access across the board for free for one year, and she jumped at the opportunity.

The membership is being covered for one year by the Journal itself, and after the subscription is up, FIU can renew the membership if they decide they want to move forward with it, according to Andreadis.

Li said that she is planning on doing a Qualtrics survey after the membership has been live for some time, to see if students and faculty are engaging with the program, and if the responses are positive and the price is favorable, the University may negotiate a renewal.

“The big question to ask is if the student body is being influenced by this membership, and are they gaining from it. That will be a discussion with the Wall Street Journal and within the FIU community,” said Li.

This membership is not exclusive to the College of Business, and Li said that this is beneficial for all students at FIU, regardless of major.

“I have a motto that pertains to this: ‘everybody needs a little business,’” said Li.

If you’d like to activate your WSJ membership, visit wsj.com/FIU to create your free account.

 

Featured image courtesy of Unsplash

About Post Author