Student Media
About Us
About Student MediaStudent Media Mission & Overview (1) To serve the university community (2) To train media professionals (3) To succeed as a business Student Media provides the university community with news, information and a forum for the exchange of ideas, while also providing an educational learning environment for students. Student Media properties include the State Press newspaper, ASU Web Devil, SPM weekly magazine, and Sun Devil Television. Each of these is managed and staffed by ASU students with advice and training from professional employees. Students make all final editorial decisions and take full responsibility for editorial content. While working at Student Media, students can gain practical experience as reporters, writers, editors, Web developers, designers, photographers, producers, directors, videographers, salespeople, and business managers. Student Media generates 90 percent or more of its own revenue, making it a largely self-supporting department. Salaries, equipment, phones, supplies and other essentials are paid out of department revenues. The university’s first student newspaper, The Normal Echo, debuted on Oct. 18, 1890, as a weekly one-page supplement to the Tempe Daily News Tribune (now the East Valley Tribune). Resembling a literary magazine more than a newspaper, it hoped to “unite more closely the student body and alumni” of the Tempe Normal School (an early name of the institution that would become ASU). The supplement was published on Saturdays and featured short stories, human interest articles and editorials. In 1906 the Echo became the Tempe Normal Student, a four-page tabloid distributed on campus each Friday for five cents per copy. In 1925 the state legislature authorized the school to offer a four-year Bachelor of Education degree and change its name to the Tempe State Teachers' College. The newspaper was renamed the Tempe Collegian. The paper's name was shortened to the Collegian in 1930. The college began teaching its first journalism courses in 1931 and the newspaper became part of the journalism department, where it would remain until 1975. In 1928 the school was renamed Arizona State Teachers College and that year the newspaper became the Arizona State Press. The legislature voted to re-name the school Arizona State College in 1945 and the newly formed board of regents authorized the offering of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees. By 1958 the institution offered graduate degrees and functioned as a university. In November of that year a hard fought referendum vote officially changed its name to Arizona State University. The newspaper’s name was shortened to State Press in the 1950s. From 1964 to 1984 the paper published four days a week -- Monday through Thursday. Since 1984 is has published Monday through Friday. In 1975, amidst a nationwide movement to make campus dailies independent of academic departments and direct faculty supervision, the State Press separated from the journalism department. John Schwada, then-president of ASU, placed the paper under the authority of a Board of Student Media. The first board resigned within a month because of a disagreement with the Arizona Board of Regents regarding its role in the newspaper’s affairs. The State Press now operates under the department of Student Media, which is a part of University Student Initiatives. The director of Student Media serves as the adviser to the State Press and the department's other media properties, including Sun Devil Television, SPM, and Web Devil. An advisory board made up of university faculty, staff, and students, as well as outside media professionals, chooses student leaders and advises the department's director. Students lead and manage each Student Media property and make all final editorial decisions. Today, the department of Student Media is made up of the following:
Student Media also publishes special issues during the Fall and Spring semesters, for example:
The Student Media design and production team is led by a professional production manager and includes professional and student staff. The team is responsible for the design and production of Student Media's print products, marketing materials, and collaborates closely with the student Web staff to produce online content. The team also offers pre-press design and production services to the ASU community. Staff and student employees work with many departments to produce their newsletters, magazines, brochures, flyers, posters and other print and multimedia products. For more information, contact our Production Department at 480-965-6183. Student Media's advertising team is led by a professional advertising manager and staffed by student and professional advertising sales executives. The team sells advertising for the State Press, ASU Web Devil, SPM, Sun Devil Television, and all of Student Media's special products. The advertising team is also responsible for the department's public relations, promotions, and marketing efforts. The student staff is led by a student manager. Students are trained and guided by professional staff members. We participate in activities with our peer institutions through organizations such as College Media Advisers. Arizona Newspaper Association and the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. Our strongest involvement is in the Western Association of University Publications Managers, an organization made up of 25 of the largest student publications programs in the country. |