''The Courier'' is the free student
weekly newspaper
A weekly newspaper is a general-news or Current affairs (news format), current affairs publication that is issued once or twice a week in a wide variety broadsheet, magazine, and electronic publishing, digital formats. Similarly, a biweekly new ...
of
Newcastle University
Newcastle University (legally the University of Newcastle upon Tyne) is a UK public university, public research university based in Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England. It has overseas campuses in Singapore and Malaysia. The university is ...
's
Students' Union
A students' union, also known by many other names, is a student organization present in many colleges, universities, and high schools. In higher education, the students' union is often accorded its own building on the campus, dedicated to social, ...
. It is entirely written and edited by student volunteers, except for the chief editor, which is a paid sabbatical officer position in the students union. Articles which are included in the 40-page print edition are also published online. The newspaper is divided into sections, including news, comment, sport, puzzles, lifestyle, music, film, TV, beauty, fashion, travel, arts, gaming and science.
History
Established in 1948 as ''King's Courier'', while Newcastle University was still incorporated within
Durham University
, mottoeng = Her foundations are upon the holy hills (Psalm 87:1)
, established = (university status)
, type = Public
, academic_staff = 1,830 (2020)
, administrative_staff = 2,640 (2018/19)
, chancellor = Sir Thomas Allen
, vice_chan ...
as King's College, the first issue was published on 18 November 1948. Several of the paper's founders, including its first editor Stuart Shaw and business manager Allan Marsh, had previously helped to set up ''
Palatinate'', a newspaper for students at both the Newcastle and Durham divisions of the University, but poor sales in Newcastle prompted ''Palatinate'' to refocus as a Durham-only publication after just three issues.
The paper was initially published fortnightly but became a weekly paper in 1960, when the name was shortened to ''The Courier''. The paper expanded through the 1990s and 2000s and is currently 40 pages long. In 2003 a separate culture magazine, ''Pulp'', was launched, which later became a pull-out of the main paper and was reintegrated completely in 2009. Since then, new sections such as lifestyle, science, gaming and travel have been launched within the paper.
''The Courier'' became a free publication in 2002, and after several short-lived websites, thecourieronline.co.uk launched in 2009, giving the paper a regular presence online.
Since 1975, the editor has been elected by a cross-campus ballot of students, with the role becoming a sabbatical position in 1992, making ''The Courier'' one of the only student newspapers with a full-time paid editor.
The current weekly readership is around 18,000, mostly students at the university. The newspaper is published on a Monday every week during term-time.
Awards
''The Courier'' has won numerous awards
[ including ''The Guardians ''Student Newspaper of the Year'' award in 1994, 2012 and 2013.
In 2008, ''The Courier'' design editor Kerry Hyndman came runner up in ''The Guardians student media award for design for her work on the newspaper's entertainment pull-out, ''Pulp''.]
References
External links
''The Courier'' Website
Newcastle University Students' Union
Student newspapers published in the United Kingdom
Mass media in Newcastle upon Tyne
1948 establishments in England
Newcastle University
Publications established in 1948
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