The Daily Campus

Student newspaper at the University of Connecticut
The Daily Campus
TypeStudent newspaper
FormatBroadsheet
SchoolUniversity of Connecticut
Founder(s)John H. Evans and John N. Fitts
PublisherWillimantic Chronicle (1970s - Fall 2016)
Hartford Courant (Fall 2016 - 2024)
Connecticut Valley Publishing (2024-present)
Campus editorSara Bedigan
StaffStudent-led board of editors
Founded1896
Headquarters1266 Storrs Road, Storrs-Mansfield, CT 06269
Websitedailycampus.com

The Daily Campus, founded in 1896, is a student-run newspaper at the University of Connecticut.[1] The weekday paper services the main campus of UConn and Storrs, Connecticut community with circulation during the school term.

Since its creation, the newspaper has undergone several name changes, having started as The Storrs Agricultural College Lookout, a monthly, when it published its first issue on May 11, 1896.[2] The name was changed to The Connecticut Campus in 1915, followed by The Connecticut Daily Campus, and then finally The Daily Campus in 1984. It began publishing five days a week during the academic year in 1952 and became a morning paper in 1955.

The newspaper's offices are located in an outparcel building on the outskirts of the main campus near the "Downtown Storrs" area, at the corner of 11 Dog Lane and 1266 Storrs Road (Connecticut Route 195). The paper was previously located across campus at 121 North Eagleville Road, but moved to the current location in 1992. The building lies adjacent to John Buckley Residence Hall.

History

2015–present

In 2015 The Daily Campus switched to a board composed entirely of student voters, rather than the mixture of professionals (non-students) and students that have served on the board since the seventies. The decision was made after the university threatened to take away funding from the paper and the editor-in-chief at the time, with student support, agreed to the university administration's demands, citing the over $300,000 in student fees the paper is dependent upon (which account for nearly 75% of the paper's total income).[3]

Coverage and Operation

The Daily Campus splits its coverage into sections, including news, opinion, comics, life, and sports.[4] It also regularly publishes special extras, usually tabloid-style inserts of approximately eight to 12 pages.[5]

In 2014 the paper's opinion section retracted and issued an apology for a piece titled "On sexual assault, risk of overreacting."[6]

The Daily Campus prints on weekdays, distributing 147 issues a year with a circulation of 8,000 in Storrs and some surrounding areas.[7] Its staff is roughly 180 students.[7]

The paper is funded primarily by fees paid by undergraduate students, in addition to advertising revenue. Financial struggles have been publicized as of 2012[update].[7]

Notable alumni

  • Dan Drew, editor-in-chief, 2002; Mayor of Middletown, Connecticut[8][9]
  • Leigh Montville, editor-in-chief, 1964–1965; bestselling author[10][11]
  • William Ratchford[12]

References

  1. ^ "Daily Campus Archives [1896–1926] | Student Publications | University of Connecticut". opencommons.uconn.edu.
  2. ^ "S.A.C. Lookout Volume 1, Number 1". S[torrs] A[gricultural] C[ollege] Lookout. Vol. 1, no. 1. May 11, 1896. hdl:11134/20002:860166993.
  3. ^ "UConn's 'Daily Campus' Restructures Board". Hartford Courant. February 22, 2015.
  4. ^ "The Daily Campus". The Daily Campus. May 3, 2023. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  5. ^ "Print Editions". The Daily Campus. May 3, 2023. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  6. ^ "Daily Campus Apologizes For Controversial Op-Ed". Hartford Courant. October 30, 2014.
  7. ^ a b c Linda Conner Lambeck (March 23, 2012). "UConn's student paper struggles to survive". Connecticut Post.
  8. ^ Federico, Hillary (November 9, 2010). "REPEAT RACE: Democrat Dan Drew to challenge Middletown mayor next year". The Middletown Press. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  9. ^ Day, Cassandra (November 27, 2018). "After 8 years in office, Middletown Mayor Drew not running again". The Middletown Press. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  10. ^ Horwitz, Arthus (June 14, 2022). "I Wouldn't Have Listened to Me". UConn Magazine. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  11. ^ "Leigh Montville Elected Editor-In.Chief". The Daily Campus. April 6, 1984. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  12. ^ Benjamin, Scott (August 14, 2017). "Drew Wants Democrats To Return To Roosevelt Roots". Patch. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  • "Study Unit Cites Weaknesses In UConn Paper". Meriden Journal. August 3, 1961. p. 2. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  • "Students, UConn Blamed For Paper's Poor Quality". Hartford Courant. August 4, 1961. p. 11.
  • "'Daily Campus' Uncertain of Funds". Hartford Courant. February 8, 1972. p. 57. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  • "Daily Campus Has New Offices, Finances". Hartford Courant. September 17, 1972. p. 14. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  • "The Daily Campus: 100 Years of Change". Hartford Courant. May 11, 1996.
  • Mark J. Roy (March 11, 2002). "100 Years of Women's Basketball". UConn Advance.
  • Kurt Moffett (February 26, 2004). "More problems found at UConn newspaper". Journal Inquirer.
  • Michael Gagne (March 25, 2020). "Students covering virus receive crash course in real world journalism". Record-Journal.
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  • Founded: 1881