The purpose of this research was to find out what role the Daily News plays in the lives of Ball State students, what the editors can do to better please the readers and how the paper compares with professional dailies. With this information, the paper's design, format and each individual section can be improved to better fulfull students' expectations and needs.A survey of 404 students yielded information showing that only 50 percent of respondents said reading the Daily News every day was important to them. That response corresponded with the 49 percent who stated that they actually read the Daily News every day. Eighty-five percent said they read the Daily News at least twice per week.Along with the survey, focus groups were assembled to discuss each section of the paper - news, sports, diversions/weekend, and overall design - and make suggestions. Also, comments on specific Daily News issues were solicited from managing editors from nearby dailies. From these resources, we have compiled a comprehensive list of recommendations on improvements to the paper's content and graphic elements. Following the recommendations are the details of each part of the research.