Like many college publications, The Daily Tar Heel is free and distributed via newsracks placed across campus and in downtown Chapel Hill. That makes it easy to pick up a copy on the way to class.
But that system broke down one day in 2009. The men’s basketball team won the national championship, and people grabbed more than one copy of the DTH from newsracks. Some snatched dozens and sold them on eBay. A lot of people missed a chance to get a souvenir of UNC’s victory, and the DTH missed a chance to make some money.
This week, UNC did it again, defeating Gonzaga to win the NCAA Tournament. But this time, the DTH changed the way it distributed this keepsake edition of the newspaper.
To do that, DTH staffers handed out newspapers at various locations on campus — one copy per person. If a person asked for more than one copy, the staff member told them that extras were available at the DTH office for $1 each.
“We wanted to ensure that everyone in the community got their one free copy and avoid people getting 50 copies,” said Erica Perel, the newspaper’s adviser.
The plan worked. Basketball fans got souvenirs. The DTH gave away or sold more than 50,000 papers compared with 10,000 on a typical day. That’s significant for a news organization that has struggled financially in recent years.
So, congrats to both groups of Tar Heels — the men’s basketball team and the student journalists. You both won big.
The Editor's Desk 
Thanks for this information and lesson in economics.