By the 1930s, though the Daily had become a reliable amplifier of campus concerns, its influence and editorial platform was not universally accepted. To maintain relevance and accountability, staff had to be responsive to criticism and adapt to the information needs of the readers they served.
Staff in the Daily Office, 1933
Editor in the Daily Office, 1933
Daily staff and Printing Press, 1935
Daily staff and Printing Press, 1935
Behind The Scenes Extra, Volume 1, April 20, 1932
The Broadside, Volume 1, Number 1, March 1, 1934
Article Clipping, "Your Own Column: Over The Back Fence," The Minnesota Daily, October 23, 1935
Article Clipping, "Another Step Ahead," The Minnesota Daily, November 1, 1939
The Daily’s coverage of student affairs during this period drew the ire of representatives from multiple student groups, who organized to publish and distribute single-issue opposition publications. Behind The Scenes Extra (1932) and The Broadside (1934) accused the student newspaper of misrepresentation and questioned its legitimacy.
In the editorial, “Your Own Column: Over the Back Fence,” published on October 23, 1935, Daily editors introduced a column specifically for letters of student opinion submitted to the newspaper.
On November 1, 1939, Daily staff announced in the article, “Another Step Ahead," that the future appearance of the newspaper would be placed in the hands of readers to decide. For two weeks the newspaper was published in alternating formats - the existing 8-column broadsheet or the proposed 5-column tabloid.
On November 10, 1939, 7, 192 students voted their preference for the tabloid Daily. In the editorial, “Readers Keep The Daily Alert,” published the following week, editors acknowledged that “in the future we will make it a policy to be more sensitive to our readers’ desires.”
Article Clipping, "Readers Keep The Daily Alert," The Minnesota Daily, November 14, 1939
