When the University of Michigan – Flint student newspaper let its domain name lapse last year, it was a clear sign that the Michigan Times was in trouble. The publication that covered the downtown campus for more than 60 years is now officially “sunsetting” and will shut down completely at the end of the academic year, a victim of declining student interest and, some argue, university budget cuts.
The domain “themichigantimes.com” was quickly purchased by another entity, and a new publication with the same name soon appeared online pledging to cover “all types of local news for the cities of Flint and Detroit in Michigan.” It resembles a slickly produced version of the old student newspaper site, albeit one that is heavy on regional and state news.
Read MoreLikewise, the domain name registration is private, with no ownership information available. All contact information refers back to “Domains By Proxy,” a service that masks personal contact information. Many domains are private; it is often the default setting at registration. But many news organizations, such as the New York Times and National Public Radio (NPR), do not anonymize their domain information in the interest of transparency...
