The College Tribune, an independent student newspaper from University College Dublin (UCD), has become the first student publication in Ireland to release a newspaper mobile app on the 25th of January 2021. Co-Editors Luke Murphy and Stephen Kisbey-Green share their excitement and discuss the benefits of this new way to access university news.
The app was created by web developer David Kisbey-Green and is free to download on the AppStore and Google Play now. It is easily accessible with categories such as news, features, opinion and sport clearly displayed across the top of the screen and the latest stories appearing on the homepage underneath. Video interviews which The College Tribune will be conducting in the coming semester will also be available to view on the app.
The app will be available in both light and dark mode, a display setting recently adopted by popular apps to reduce ‘blue light’ emissions and strain on battery life. Like on the website, readers can comment and share posts on social media. Readers can now also bookmark their favourite stories to read again later.
The College Tribune Co-Editor Luke Murphy said that it is a “massive honour” to be the first student publication in Ireland with a mobile app. Murphy and his Co-Editor, Stephen Kisbey-Green, had first discussed creating an app at the beginning of their editorship and are delighted with how quickly the development has progressed. Murphy confessed that during the pandemic it has been difficult to reach students with no print editions, however, he hopes that the mobile app will allow the Tribune to reach a larger audience including students from other universities across Ireland as well as UCD alumni “within a few taps on a phone screen”.
Co-Editor Stephen Kisbey-Green continued that the app is a huge development in the world of student journalism and he is happy that the College Tribune can now reach students, parents, and alumni in a similar way to national and international newspapers. He added that push notifications will allow students to constantly stay informed and up to date on campus news even while studying remotely.
App developer David Kisbey-Green said that he was excited to share the new app with The College Tribune‘s readers, stating that it “was a great experience” to develop a history-making application.
You can download the app on your smart phone or tablet now!
For Android users, click here
For Apple users, click here
Emma Hanrahan – Assistant News Editor
