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''UCL Pi Media'' is the oldest and largest student journalism society at
University College London Union Students' Union UCL (formerly University College London Union) is the students' union of University College London. Founded in 1893, it is one of the oldest students' unions in England, although postdating the Liverpool Guild of Students which ...
. Initially launched as a newspaper in 1946 and named after former Provost David Pye, it now publishes on three platforms: ''Pi Online'', ''Pi Magazine'' and ''PiTV''. ''Pi Medias contribution to student journalism has been recognised both within UCL and by other media outlets. ''Pi Magazine'' was shortlisted for 'Magazine of the Year' at ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' Student Media Awards in 2009 and was named Best Publication at the Students' Union UCL Arts Awards in 2012, 2013, 2016 and 2020.


History

''Pi Media'' was originally launched as a
newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports a ...
in 1946, named ''Pi'' in honour of the University's Provost, Sir David Pye. In the aftermath of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, there was strong popular support amongst UCL students and Union officials for a community project that would bind together the rapidly expanding campus. The newspaper was conceived as a fortnightly news-sheet, written and published internally by UCL students. The founding editor was Richard Lubbock, a first-year medic, who modelled the four-page broadsheet after the style of an American high school newspaper. The purpose was to provide news and entertainment for students, and journalistic experience for the editorial team. The paper was popular, charging a small fee for each issue. Though the initial focus was on student
politics Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studies ...
, as the paper recruited a more diverse base of writers and journalists, new areas began to receive attention. The newspaper's popularity among students was driven by its coverage of sports, academic discourse and regular interviews with London's public figures. ''Pi'' drew favourable comparisons with other heavyweight student newspapers, such as the
London School of Economics , mottoeng = To understand the causes of things , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £240.8 million (2021) , budget = £391.1 millio ...
''
Beaver Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers ar ...
''. ''Pi Squared'' was launched alongside the magazine in October 2006 as a sister publication in newspaper form. In December 2012, following concerns that internal competition between the magazine and the newspaper was mutually harmful, the decision was made by the editorial board to discontinue Pi Squared. In May 2007, the society constitutionally renamed as ''Pi Media'' to take into account its expansion into other media formats.


Former contributors


Today

''Pi Medias content is spread across three different platforms: ''Pi Online'', ''Pi Magazine'' and ''PiTV''. ''Pi Online'' is the society's fastest-growing platform which regularly publishes submissions from student writers across six sections: News, Opinion, Features, Science, Lifestyle and Culture. Topics include campus news, student politics, investigations, environmental features, student life advice and coverage of London's cultural activities. Three editors are appointed per section to support the Editors-In-Chief. ''Pi Magazine'' is published biannually and each issue is curated around a specific theme. In recent years, the themes have included "Balance", "Empowerment" and UCL itself. The magazine contains the same sections as ''Pi Online'', with two articles per section. The magazine is distributed for free around the UCL campus, including
UCL Union Students' Union UCL (formerly University College London Union) is the students' union of University College London. Founded in 1893, it is one of the oldest students' unions in England, although postdating the Liverpool Guild of Students which ...
bars, departmental common rooms and libraries. Although ''Pi Magazine'' is primarily available in print form, online copies of the latest issues are available through the society's website. ''Pi Magazine'' commissions art and photography from creatives within the UCL student body. ''PiTV'' is the broadcasting arm of ''Pi Media''. It produces a range of video projects, from short documentaries, travel diaries and the Backstage Pass series, to student news coverage, political interviews and UCL Students’ Union investigations. In recent years, ''Pi Media'' has conducted interviews with well-known figures such as
Desmond Tutu Desmond Mpilo Tutu (7 October 193126 December 2021) was a South African Anglican bishop and theologian, known for his work as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist. He was Bishop of Johannesburg from 1985 to 1986 and then Archbishop ...
,
Elijah Wood Elijah Jordan Wood (born January 28, 1981) is an American actor and producer. He is best known for his portrayal of Frodo Baggins in the ''Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy (2001–2003) and '' The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'' (2012). Wood ...
,
Nigel Farage Nigel Paul Farage (; born 3 April 1964) is a British broadcaster and former politician who was List of UK Independence Party leaders, Leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) from 2006 to 2009 and 2010 to 2016 and Brexit Party#Leaders, Lea ...
,
Dominic Raab Dominic Rennie Raab (; born 25 February 1974) is a British politician who has served as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Secretary of State for Justice, and Lord Chancellor since October 2022, having previously served from 2021 to ...
MP,
Rory Stewart Roderick James Nugent Stewart (born 3 January 1973) is a British academic, diplomat, author, broadcaster, former soldier and former politician. He is the president of GiveDirectly, a visiting fellow at Yale University's Jackson Institute for G ...
, and
David Runciman David Walter Runciman, 4th Viscount Runciman of Doxford, (born 1 March 1967) is an English academic who teaches politics and history at Cambridge University, where he is Professor of Politics. From October 2014 to October 2018 he was also Head ...
.Colwell, Angus. ''David Runciman on Trump, young people, and the future of democracy.'' Pi Online, 2 March 2020 (https://uclpimedia.com/online/i-genuinely-think-2020-is-scary-david-runciman-on-trump-young-people-and-the-future-of-democracy) (Accessed: 28/06/2020)


Committee structure

Unlike many other student publications, ''Pi Media'' does not have a paid full-time sabbatical editor. Students are elected to the Committee at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in March. Any positions that become vacant throughout the year are filled at an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM).


External links


Official websitePiTV


References

{{University College London, university Monthly magazines published in the United Kingdom News magazines published in the United Kingdom Student magazines published in the United Kingdom British student media groups Clubs and societies of University College London Biweekly magazines published in the United Kingdom Free magazines Magazines published in London Magazines established in 1947 Publications established in 1945