Tim Cox, Suzy Chapman and Cindy Remy co-founded The Merge, an online biweekly magazine that combines several aspects of journalism into one medium.

Journalism students Tim Cox, Suzy Chapman and Cindy Remy began The Merge, an online, biweekly magazine that combines different aspects of journalism, including print, broadcast, public relations, radio, photography and advertising, into one medium.

The founders of The Merge envisioned this new medium in fall 2003 after NMSU’s literary magazine, Fusion, fizzled out because of a lack of interest and funding. Cox, who was the editor of Fusion, brought in Chapman and Remy to help with the magazine but they were frustrated with the lack of involvement in that publication.

“We decided we should be involved with something within our field of interest, journalism,” Remy says. “We really wanted an outlet for journalism majors to get published. Starting a publication that would allow this seemed a natural course of action.”

Remy says that she and her cohorts believe that all aspects of journalism are equally important, so creating an avenue where they all can be expressed was essential.

“We also wanted to provide the Doña Ana community another medium for information,” she says.

For Chapman, the new publication gives students the modern experience they need.

“The Internet is our future and The Merge is keeping up with the times,” Chapman says.

Cox says there is something even greater about this publication.

“The most important aspect of The Merge, and online publications in general, is that we are not constrained by a lack of funds, which material publications depend on,” Cox says.

So far, Remy says The Merge, which debuted in January 2004, has garnered positive feedback and support from the journalism department and NMSU community.

“We hope our readers will see that it is possible for several types of journalism to function cohesively in order to bring news to the community,” Remy says.

The Merge currently has about 10 volunteer staff members, but the editors hope to increase that number and eventually offer paying positions through support from the school, friends and alumni.

For more information about The Merge go to www.nmsu.edu/~merge or contact the editors at mergeonline@yahoo.com.