Support the Eastern Echo by donating to our crowdfunding campaign. Any amount helps; by donating, you are supporting independent local journalism, our enthusiastic student staff, and a credible source of information for the local community!
Our Mission: Public Service & Public Education
As the only newspaper in the city of Ypsilanti, the Eastern Echo is essential for keeping local community members informed on the issues and stories important to them. The Echo keeps elected officials and local leaders in check by providing necessary oversight. More uniquely, the Echo equips the future generations of journalists with training opportunities to engage in public life and serve the public interest.
Our Story: A century-old newspaper renewed in the digital age
Founded in 1881, the Eastern Echo has been operated by the students of Eastern Michigan University as an independent newspaper for 139 years (infographic: Timeline). Through two world wars, the Great Depression, the civil rights movement, and recent events like September 11, the recession, and current pandemic, the Echo has recorded important events, raised public awareness and compassion of the communities.
The Echo has received 58 awards from the Michigan Press Association in just the past decade (Infographic: Awards), and continued nourishing generations of journalists, who gained the first-hand experience through the Echo, now create greater impact in a larger arena after graduation.
Nora Naughton, the former editor-in-chief of the Echo and now a journalist at the Wall Street Journal, reflected on the impact of the Echo experience on her professional career in this video.
Our Challenges
Like many media and businesses, the Echo has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The editorial budget has been cut nearly half of the previous year, and as a result, the editorial staff that we could afford to hire shrunk to half from its peak time.
Less financial resource for the paper means less opportunity for students to earn bylines, and less security to support themselves through college. And yet, the potential negative impact is always greater than us. A shrinking paper could lead to less representation, perspectives, and coverage when the local community needs more clarity, guidance, and accountability in a time of partisan division and misinformation.
How you can help
Please consider donating to help the Echo continue to survive and thrive. Supporting the Echo is to support independent local journalism, our enthusiastic student staff and future journalists, and a credible source of information for the local community!
All funds the Echo receives will go towards compensating editorial expenses. Any amount helps, chip in a few bucks to help keep local journalism alive at EMU.