The Gannon Knight has announced that it will be introducing a new podcast titled “Under the Arch.”

The podcast, created by Editor-in-Chief Chloe Forbes, will be produced out of the newspaper’s office in the Center for Communication and the Arts at 700 Peach St.

Forbes said that while listening to podcasts over winter break, she got the idea to start one herself.

“It became obvious to me that podcasts were becoming more popular,” Forbes said. “I decided to take advantage of that opportunity.”

Forbes said that with the newspaper transitioning to an all-digital platform, she looked for and continues to look for “methods to distribute news in an ever-changing digital landscape.”

“As soon as I proposed it, MC Gensheimer supported me and helped me put it into motion immediately,” Forbes said. “David Blaetz also helped with ordering the equipment for the studio, which we just installed in the newsroom.”

The podcast will go hand-in-hand with the newspaper, Forbes said.

“It covers issue rundowns highlighting the articles in each issue,” Forbes said. “It also will include longer segments that expand on topics already touched on in the paper.”

An example of this would be a student coming on to the podcast to discuss a topic more in-depth.

The promotion of the podcast will be extensive and visible to the entire Gannon community, Forbes said.

“We are in the midst of talking to marketing about promoting the podcast and the website in a way that that is more accessible for students,” Forbes said.

“Until then, we will be promoting it on our social media and around buildings on campus.”

The podcast’s target audience will be people familiar with the newspaper counterpart – students, faculty, staff and alumni.

Forbes said that she hopes the podcast will be a “stepping stone toward a better experience with online journalism.”

“I want The Knight to be a platform for student voices and information,” Forbes said. “I think the podcast is a step in the right direction.”

As the landscape of journalism and news continues to change, Forbes said she wants Gannon’s journalism program to adapt similarly in order to give students a real-world experience.

Students and faculty alike were excited and optimistic about the addition of a podcast to the news portfolio of The Knight.

Jessica Mando, access services librarian for Nash Library, said that she thinks a podcast is a great idea.

“The popularity of podcasts seems to be growing every day,” Mando said. “The convenience of podcasts makes them much easier to digest. They are perfect for multitaskers because you can easily listen in while you do something else, whether that be walking to class, cooking or getting ready for the day.”

Mando said that with the saturation of screen time, a podcast would allow for a good break.

“Rather than adding to that screen time by reading an e-version of the newspaper, we can tune in through audio,” Mando said.

David Thompson, a junior criminal justice major, said that it was a great modern way to bring The Knight to the student body.

“Students might not have the time during their busy schedules to sit and read a paper,” Thompson said. “But with a podcast students could listen to, I think it could definitely boost the numbers for The Knight.”

Robert Fox, a junior interdisciplinary studies major, said that while he was not a huge podcast fan, he feels that a podcast would be a sound alternative for those who prefer to listen over reading.

“As long as you’ve got readership at The Knight, I imagine similar numbers will translate over to the podcast as long as it’s well-advertised,” Fox said.

“Under the Arch” can be found on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, as well as at gannonknight.com.