Tharunka

Infobox Newspaper
name = Tharunka


caption = Front page of a Tharunka edition from 2004, when the publication was a tabloid newspaper.
type = Student newspaper
format = Magazine
foundation = 1953
ceased publication =
price = Free
owners = Arc @ UNSW Limited
publisher = Jude Whitfield
editor =
chiefeditor = Sophie Braham
Tom Bowes
assoceditor = Rosemary Grey
Tim Phang
staff =
language = English
political = Left-wing
circulation = 3000
headquarters = Uni of New South Wales
Kensington, NSW flagicon|AUS
oclc =
ISSN =
website = [http://www.arc.unsw.edu.au/tharunka/ arc.unsw.edu.au/tharunka]

"Tharunka" is a student newspaper published at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. Established in 1953 at the then New South Wales University of Technology, "Tharunka" has been published in a variety of forms by various student organisations. At present, "Tharunka" is published 10 times a year by Arc @ UNSW Limited.The name "Tharunka" means "message stick" in a Central Australian Aboriginal language.

Until 1980, "Tharunka" was a weekly newspaper, switching to a fortnightly magazine format from 1981. In 2004 and 2005, "Tharunka" returned to a tabloid newspaper format. From 2005 publication became less frequent, and in 2006, "Tharunka" returned to a magazine format.

"Tharunka" was published by the UNSW Students Union from 1953 until 1992, when that body was replaced by the University of New South Wales Student Guild. The Guild published "Tharunka" from 1993 until 2006, before the organisation was scrapped. A new student organisation, Arc @ UNSW Limited, took over publication of "Tharunka" from 2007.

"Tharunka" is managed by a small staff and a wider group of volunteers. Including staff wages, the publication's budget is under $100,000 per year. [O'Halloran, Brett (June 2005) "The Implications of Voluntary Student Unionism Legislation for UNSW An Issues Paper with Recommendations". Accessed Nov. 13 2006 [http://www.source.unsw.edu.au/vsureport/Report_OHalloran.pdf] ]

Content

The content of "Tharunka" varies year to year in line with the priorities of student politicians, the editors and the wider contributor base. "Tharunka's" at times irreverant approach has seen copies seized by police, destroyed by political opponents and censored by the student organisation.

It is traditional for a parody edition of "Tharunka" to be released as part of the university's annual Foundation Day celebrations. News satire is a regular feature of the publication.

Politics

As the journal of a political organisation, "Tharunka's" editorial direction is often influenced by the dominant faction within the student body at the time. Where the editors have distanced themselves from the agenda of student representatives, conflict has been the result. A plan by then editor Michael Shane to devote an issue to coverage of issues facing men was met with fierce resistance by the Student Guild's governing council in 2000. Rules were enacted to give the Guild women's department a right of veto over content. [Korogiannis, Michael (Nov. 2000). "Are some more equal than others?". Tharunka.]

In November 2004, the Guild was attacked by "Daily Telegraph" columnist Michael Duffy for attempting to prevent the expression of support for voluntary student unionism at UNSW. "Student politics is still notoriously corrupt and secretive," Duffy wrote, reporting that "the editors of the student union magazine "Tharunka", have been told by the Guild Council ... not to publish articles in support of voluntary unionism." [Duffy, Michael (Nov. 13, 2004). "Forced to subsidise bad food and bullies". The Daily Telegraph.]

Other student media at UNSW

"Tharunka" is one of a number of periodicals that have emerged from the university.
* "Blitz" is a weekly campus events guide that evolved from newsletters circulated by the University of New South Wales Union in the 1970s. The name "Blitz" was adopted in mid-1988. In mid-1994, the Union introduced more editorial material to "Blitz", hiring former "Tharunka" editor Alf Conlon to expand the range of content. "Blitz" and "Tharunka" are now both published by Arc.
* Students at the university's College of Fine Arts produced regular zines under the titles "Xerox Positive", and since 2005, "Zing Tycoon".
* "Tharunka" contributors were instrumental in the establishment of "The Student Leader" in 2004.

History

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.arc.unsw.edu.au/tharunka/ "Tharunka" website]
* [http://www.studentmedia.org.au National Student Media Conference]
* [http://membres.lycos.fr/nsalzberg/doc/wendy.html Interview with Wendy Bacon, Tharunka, vol. 46 (2000)]
* Past issues of Tharunka are available for access at [http://www.recordkeeping.unsw.edu.au UNSW Archives]