''Redbrick'' is the student newspaper of the

University of Birmingham , mottoeng = Through efforts to heights , established = 1825 – Birmingham School of Medicine and Surgery1836 – Birmingham Royal School of Medicine and Surgery1843 – Queen's College1875 – Mason Science College1898 – Mason Univers ...

. Originally titled ''Guild News'', the newspaper was renamed ''Redbrick'' in 1962. As with most student newspapers, ''Redbrick'' is not fully independent due to funding arrangements, but is editorially independent as is set out in its charter. ''Redbrick'' is written, photographed, edited and published entirely by University students, and is run not for profit, funded by both advertising revenue and the Guild of Students.

About ''Redbrick''

It consists of News, Comment, Culture, Music, Film, TV, Gaming, Food&Drink, Travel, Life&Style, Sci&Tech and Sport sections. A sport supplement titled ''The Lion'' was published biannually until 2014. The newspaper is produced fortnightly during term time, with the exception of the summer semester as publication halts during exam season. The newspaper celebrated its 75th birthday in February 2011. The paper is distributed free around campus and the local area every Friday of publication week. ''Redbrick's'' website has grown significantly following a redesign in early 2011. Following the redesign, ''Redbrick'' won the ''Guardian'' Student Media Award for 'Website of the Year' in 2011. In December 2018, Redbrick published its 1500th print issue.

History

Early years as ''Guild News''

''Redbrick'' is one of the oldest student newspapers in the United Kingdom. First published as ''Guild News'' on 5 February 1936, its current name dates to 1962. One of three student publications at the university, the others being ''SATNAV'' (''Science and Technology News and Views'') and ''The Linguist'', the paper was originally published alongside the student magazine ''The Mermaid''; this ceased publication. The newspaper continued to publish throughout the Second World War. The first issue after its declaration featured on its front page an article on the potential difference between The Great War, and the war with Germany in which the country had just become involved.

''Redbrick'' in the late twentieth century

In summer 1972, following the holding of the

Gay Liberation Front Gay Liberation Front (GLF) was the name of several gay liberation groups, the first of which was formed in New York City in 1969, immediately after the Stonewall riots. Similar organizations also formed in the UK and Canada. The GLF provided a ...

's yearly conference in Birmingham by the

Guild of Students 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 so ...

(the

's students' union), ''Redbrick'' published a controversial article titled 'Who's a Wanker?', which described "the practical aspects of

homosexuality Homosexuality is Romance (love), romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or Human sexual activity, sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romant ...

", then a highly controversial topic. The issue ran out and had to be reprinted. Simultaneously, it was reported to the Press Council because of that article, and it was subsequently withdrawn. Over the years, ''Redbrick'' has covered everything from visits by Prime Ministers, controversial politicians and even

Malcolm X Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an American Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figure during the civil rights movement. A spokesman for the Nation of I ...

. The paper has featured many exposés, reports from behind the Iron Curtain, the 1968 student sit-ins and from behind the scenes at the BBC's first ever Prime Ministerial debate.

Modern-day paper

One of ''Redbrick's'' most successful days so far was its coverage of the

2011 England riots The 2011 England riots, more widely known as the London riots, were a series of riots between 6 and 11 August 2011. Thousands of people rioted in cities and towns across England, which saw looting, arson, as well as mass deployment of police an ...

in Birmingham. ''Redbrick'' ran a live feed covering the events in Birmingham as they happened, including photography, commentary and a selection of tweets, which attracted over 100,000 visitors in the space of a few hours. ''Redbrick'' continued to do this into the second and third days of rioting, and received national recognition for its coverage. The society has won recognition from various student bodies. In 2005, ''Redbrick'' won the most improved society award; following this in 2010 the newspaper won the Guild of Students Most Outstanding Society of the year award. In the same year it won the Outstanding Contribution to Sport award from the University. As previously mentioned, in November 2011, ''Redbrick'' also won the ''Guardian'' Student Media award for 'Website of the Year'. In 2015, the Sport section of the newspaper was commended for its coverage, winning the Student Publication Association's 'Best University Sports Coverage' award. In 2017, the ''Redbrick'' News section won the SPA's 'Best News Story' award for an in-depth investigation into the university's sport clubs' initiations. In 2014, a funding shortfall caused the newspaper to reduce its publishing frequency from weekly to fortnightly, and its circulation from 3000 per week to 1500 per fortnight.

Editorial team

''Redbrick'' appoints its core editorial team for the coming academic year via simple majority at an annual general meeting in the summer semester. ''Redbrick'' encompasses a large team, including writers, editors, designers and managers.

Notable former editors

Many former editors have gone on to work for national publications, the most notable including Roland Buerk and former Reviews Editor Lizo Mzimba.

References

{{University of Birmingham Redbrick (Newspaper) Redbrick (Newspaper) Publications established in 1936 1936 establishments in the United Kingdom