USA Today will launch a new electronic version of the newspaper at MU on Oct. 22. Three other universities in the country will receive the trial e-Edition.

“They want to see if young people would utilize an electronic version of the USA Today any differently than a print version,” said Student Life Director Mark Lucas.

The e-Edition will be an exact digital replica of the newspaper, with additional interactive and exclusive content. The publication will maintain its familiar organization and structure, but will be available to MU students every day starting at 4:30 a.m. Central time to read online or download for later use.

MU students will also get a special Saturday-Sunday edition, called EXTRA, available only to e-Edition subscribers. The supplement will provide the reader with a weekend guide to entertainment, sports, technology, autos and travel.

“The current plan is to launch the e-Edition on one campus per week,” said Kathleen Pesha, director of higher education programs at USA Today. The e-Edition is also being piloted at the University of Indiana, Penn State and Georgia Tech.

The trial will last until the end of April 2010.

“We will (then) evaluate its success and determine the best cost model and roll-out structure for MU and all other universities nationwide,” said Pesha.

The digital publication is part of USA Today’s Collegiate Readership Program, an effort to promote civic literacy and global awareness among college students through regular exposure to the news. The University of Missouri boasts one of the largest readership programs in the country, with students reading nearly 2,000 print newspapers per day.

“(The MU) student body already recognizes the importance of news readership,” said Pesha. “USA Today is making the most of this opportunity to now explore avenues that enhance the accessibility and convenience of the Program for college students as a whole.”

The trial run will culminate in assessments of student use of the product and student feedback. There also may be online surveys and focus group evaluations of the e-Edition.

As the cost of the digital version is not determined yet, the final evaluations will also lead to the establishment of a digital versus print cost model based on the usage and feedback.

Despite the introduction of a digital version of USA Today, the number of print copies of the newspaper available on campus will remain the same.

The USA Today e-Edition was launched two months ago and currently has 1,566 subscribers nationwide.