The Illini Media Company is a nonprofit, student

media company Mass media refers to a diverse array of media technologies that reach a large audience via mass communication. The technologies through which this communication takes place include a variety of outlets. Broadcast media transmit information e ...

based in

Champaign Champaign ( ) is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 88,302 at the 2020 census. It is the tenth-most populous municipality in Illinois and the fourth most populous city in Illinois outside the Chicago metropo ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

. The company owns several student-run media outlets associated with the

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the University ...

: the general newspaper, the ''

Daily Illini ''The Daily Illini'', commonly known as the ''DI'', is a student-run newspaper that has been published for the community of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign since 1871. Weekday circulation during fall and spring semesters is 7,000; co ...

''; the entertainment paper, '' Buzz Magazine''; the engineering quarterly, '' Technograph''; the U of I

yearbook A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a type of a book published annually. One use is to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school. The term also refers to a book of statistics or facts published annually. A yearbook often ...

, the '' Illio''; and the commercial radio station,

WPGU WPGU (107.1 FM) is a fully commercial, student-run college radio station on the campus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Champaign, Illinois. It broadcasts an alternative rock radio format and other programming throughout Champ ...

. The Illini Publishing Company was chartered by the State of Illinois in 1911. In 1984, it became the Illini Media Company. The company helps students prepare for and careers in print media and broadcasting and to inform and entertain the University of Illinois community. Revenues exceed $2.5 million. In 2012, the Illini Media sought support to keep its business running. Prominent alumni, such as film critic

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...

, urged alumni to donate to the corporation. Additionally, a referendum passed to allow a fee on student's tuition to go towards the company.

Location

The Illini Media Company is housed at what was previously the Illini Media Building, located at 512 East Green Street in Champaign. Illini Media has since sold the building and moved all of its units to the third floor.

Media

''Daily Illini''

The ''Daily Illini'' (commonly known as the DI) is a student-run newspaper that has been published for the community of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign since 1871. Weekday circulation during fall and spring semesters is 20,000; copies are distributed free at more than 200 locations throughout Champaign-Urbana. Although the Daily Illini claims to be "The independent student newspaper...since 1871," questions about the independence of Illini Media arose after the student fee was imposed – it is estimated that revenue from mandatory student fees accounts for "10-12% of Illini Media's annual budget."

WPGU 107.1

WPGU 107.1 is a fully commercial student-run radio station located at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. It is operational 24-7, broadcasting alternative music and other programming throughout Champaign-Urbana and surrounding communities.

''Buzz Magazine''

''Buzz'' is a weekly entertainment magazine published every Friday by the Illini Media Company. The magazine was previously included as a weekly insert in ''The Daily Illini'', but is now considered a stand-alone publication. ''Buzz'' is the only alt-weekly print publication in Champaign-Urbana. Covering film, television, music and theatre reviews, and local events, ''Buzz'' contains feature stories on the local entertainment scene.

''Illio Yearbook''

''Illio'' is the official yearbook of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Since 1894, ''Illio'' has been documenting and preserving the campus through yearbooks. Today's yearbook has many different sections, including Groups & Greeks, Campus Life, Senior Pictures, and more.

''Technograph Magazine''

''Technograph'' is an engineering quarterly at the University of Illinois. It began in 1855 as the ''Selected Papers of the Civil Engineers' Club of the University of Illinois''. The magazine covers engineering and new technology and features profiles of leaders in the field. ''Technograph'' is available as a quarterly insert in the ''Daily Illini''. Additionally, more than 1,000 copies are sent to high school libraries across the state of Illinois.

Famous alumni

Iris Chang Iris Shun-Ru Chang (March 28, 1968November 9, 2004) was a Chinese American journalist, author of historical books and political activist. She is best known for her best-selling 1997 account of the Nanking Massacre, '' The Rape of Nanking'', an ...

, author of the international best-seller, '' The Rape of Nanking'', was a features writer for the ''Daily Illini'' from 1987-89. *

, film critic, was editor-in-chief of the ''Daily Illini'' in 1963–64, when he attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He also worked for Illini Media's terrestrial radio station

. *

Hugh Hefner Hugh Marston Hefner (April 9, 1926 – September 27, 2017) was an American magazine publisher. He was the founder and editor-in-chief of ''Playboy'' magazine, a publication with revealing photographs and articles which provoked charges of obsc ...

, editor in chief and chief creative officer of Playboy Enterprises, worked as a cartoonist for the ''Daily Illini'' from 1946 to 1949. *

Will Leitch William F. Leitch (born October 10, 1975 in Mattoon, Illinois) is an American writer and the founding editor of the Gawker Media former sports blog '' Deadspin''. Leitch is a national correspondent for MLB.com, a contributing editor at ''New Yor ...

, editor of the online magazine ''

Deadspin ''Deadspin'' is a sports blog founded by Will Leitch in 2005 and based in Chicago. Previously owned by Gawker Media and Univision Communications, it is currently owned by G/O Media. ''Deadspin'' posted daily previews, recaps, and commentaries of ...

'' and author of ''God Save The Fan'', was the managing editor of the ''Daily Illini'' in 1996.

Competition

''The Hub'', published between April 2004 and October 2006, was the last of a series of non-university affiliated alternative weeklies that competed with Illini Media. Previous alternative weeklies include ''The Paper'', closed in 2004; ''The Octopus'' (under Yesse! Communications and then under the Saga Communications radio conglomerate), published from 1995–2002; ''C-U Cityview'', 2002–2003; and ''The Optimist'', 1994–1995.