Starting Sept. 3, The Hatchet will become a weekly newspaper with a bolder commitment to delivering fast, smart online coverage that will complement a redesigned print edition.

The move from a twice-weekly newspaper will allow The Hatchet to better cater to today’s news consumer. We will drive the news cycle around the clock on gwhatchet.com with our award-winning journalism – breaking news, comprehensive coverage, lively multimedia pieces and thoughtful commentary.

Readers are increasingly reaching us on the web. The Hatchet generated about 50 percent more unique visitors last year, with nearly twice as many people reading stories on their mobile devices. This change will allow us to deliver more news to readers in real time, in the medium they frequent, rather than in batches two days a week.

The web is also where we excel. Our website, breaking news coverage and multimedia pieces have each recently earned regional awards. This year, we tripled our web staff and began development on a mobile-friendly website and app. In addition, a larger design team will allow us to produce more interactive graphics to enhance our storytelling abilities.

The print newspaper will come out each week on Monday, taking a step back from the daily news to offer deeper stories and sharper analysis that will bring to life each corner of GW and D.C., from Townhouse Row to Thurston Hall to Capitol Hill. Readers can pick up a redesigned Hatchet print edition Sept. 3 – one that’s been modernized for a better reader experience.

Becoming a weekly newspaper also made sense financially because of the recent declines in national advertising revenue seen across the news industry. The Hatchet, as an independent student newspaper, is also 501(c)(3) nonprofit. This move will enable the paper’s faster growth as a business and allow us to produce more innovative journalism.

As The Hatchet confronts these changes, we want to hear from you. This fall, The Hatchet will ask how you think we are doing in a community-wide readership survey. As The Hatchet celebrates its 20th year of independence, we remain committed to coverage that educates, informs and enlivens the GW and Foggy Bottom communities.