It’s uncommon to find a news source that chooses to highlight only three sports — Quidditch, Overwatch, and the NCAA.

Even rarer would be finding a news source that can publish a headline that reads “The Daily Iowan Wins Another Award, But We Can Swear, So Who’s Really Winning?”

The Doily Allergen fills that role at the University of Iowa. A satirical digital newspaper that parodies The Daily Iowan, the Doily Allergen covers hard-hitting news topics like how many eggs the dining hall uses, the history of restaurants in Iowa City, and literal catfishing on dating apps.

UI senior Kyle Petrie, the editor of The Doily Allergen, has been on the staff since the paper was founded in the fall of 2019. Petrie came to the UI with the intention of creating his own satirical newspaper, but when he discovered that one was in the works through his advisor, he decided to join.

Before The Doily Allergen, Petrie said he did not have much experience in comedic writing.

“I’d written a little bit of humorous-type stuff before, and I was under my high school newspaper, and I wrote a couple of opinions that had a little bit of a sarcastic tone to it, but other than that, I hadn’t really done anything similar to this,” he said.

During his time working at The Doily Allergen, Petrie said that he discovered the type of writing he wants to pursue in the future. As a double major in journalism and mass communication and creative writing at the UI, Petrie said that he enjoys writing comedy and melding it with other genres.

Petrie said that typically, he finds comedy enhances the subject being written about. Whether that is through his work with The Doily Allergen or other independent projects, he said that comedy can allow audiences to connect to the material on a deeper level.

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“The type of genre that I usually like to say that I would be interested in writing for would be comedy that has more emotion, and not necessarily tragic, but something deeper to it,” Petrie said. “I think that’s kind of part of why satire appeals to me, with just the fact that it’s comedy, but it’s angled.”

As editor of the Doily Allergen, Petrie does much more than create his own content. Tasked with leading the entire group of producers on the staff, it’s Petrie’s role to support everyone involved.

UI junior Bel Mercado works with Petrie at The Doily Allergen. The two met in one of her classes and they hit it off, connected by their love of comedy. fMercado joined The Doily Allergen in the fall of 2020 and said she’s enjoyed her time collaborating with the group since.

“It’s amazing because [Petrie is] so accepting,” Mercado said. “You might have an idea that’s really half-baked or doesn’t even fully make sense, but he’ll really work on getting that idea well rounded and whole. He has such a good eye for finding little bits or jokes for ideas that can be expanded out so much.”

Under Petrie’s guide, The Doily Allergen is currently expanding into video and audio storytelling. With a new podcast called The Doily-er Allergen, as well as video interviews with students on campus and pre-written skits in production, the group hopes to continue expansion into new mediums.

UI transfer student Kait Bloom is one of the staff members working on the expansion into video production. Bloom said that while there have been difficulties when starting new projects, the support from Petrie and the other members of The Doily Allergen have made for an exciting experience.

“I think he tends to be organized, and I think we need that sometimes,” Bloom said. “He’s really great at doing edits, and he’s a super nice guy. It’s been fun getting to know him.”