- The Pitt News
Infobox Newspaper
name = The Pitt News
caption = The September 26, 2008 front page of "The Pitt News"
type = Dailynewspaper
format =Tabloid
foundation =
owners = Independent
editor =
price = Free
headquarters = Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania
ISSN =
website = http://www.pittnews.com"The Pitt News" is an independent, student-written and student-managed newspaper for the Oakland (main) campus of the
University of Pittsburgh . It is published Monday through Friday during the regular school year and Wednesdays during the summer.The Pitt News is a million-dollar non-profit operation, employing more than 100 undergrads on the editorial side, about 25 in the business division and five professional staff members. The paper includes five regular sections — News, Opinions, Arts & Entertainment, Sports and Classifieds — and produces about a dozen special issues a year, such as the Dining, Employment and Rental guides. Circulation includes 14,000 copies an issue, distributed at approximately 100 sites. Currently, The Pitt News is printed by the
Butler Color Press on tabloid-sized newsprint.According to the Constitution of The Pitt News, the organization’s purpose is “to prepare and publish a high-quality newspaper, to provide experience for its members in all facets of the journalism profession, to provide a voice for the students of the university, and to provide a public forum for the university community.”
Overseeing The Pitt News is the Pitt News Advisory Board, which serves as publisher, and according to its Constitution, works to “advise students, support the freedom of the student press and further the educational mission of The Pitt News.” The Board consists of the editor in chief, the business manager, two other Pitt News employees, at least one non-Pitt News student at the University, local journalists, University journalism and business professors, and area businesspeople.
History
Started in the late 19th century as a quarterly literary magazine, "The Courant" is the earliest traceable ancestor of The Pitt News. By 1910, it had morphed into a weekly student newspaper called "The Pitt Weekly". Gradually, the paper began adding days to its production schedule. By the 1970s it was a business daily (Mon-Fri) paper. The Pitt News has remained an editorially independent, student-run newspaper - funded by a student-run business staff which provides revenue for the paper via ad sales.
In 2004 The Pitt News, in the Third U.S. Circuit Court of appeals, overthrew PA Act: 199, which previously prevented Pennsylvania college newspapers from running advertisements making any mention of alcohol. The ACLU represented The Pitt News against the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. The opinion was written by now Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito.
(citations: The Associated Press: College Newspapers Challenge Ban on Booze Ads. 06.11.06. http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/news.aspx?id=16998citation: The Daily Pennsylvanian. Court ruling lets college papers run alcohol ads. Backer, Kali. 09.02.04. http://media.www.dailypennsylvanian.com/media/storage/paper882/news/2004/09/02/News/Court.Ruling.Lets.College.Papers.Run.Alcohol.Ads-2151176.shtml)
Notable Alumni
*
Michael Chabon - Pulitzer Prize winning Writer, "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay ", "Wonder Boys "
*Murray Chass - Sports journalist for "The New York Times "; recipient of theJ. G. Taylor Spink Award .
*Michael Clinton - Executive vice president, chief marketing officer, and publishing director ofHearst Magazines .
*Myron Cope - Color commentator for thePittsburgh Steelers
*Joe Zeff - sports editor at the Pitt News, former graphics director for Time Magazine, former art director for The New York Times. Currently runs Joe Zeff Design, Inc. which has produced magazine covers for Newsweek, Maxim, Macworld, PC Magazine, Fortune, Businessweek, Sports Illustrated. Including such noted designs as the Newsweek September 11th issue.External links
* [http://www.pittnews.com The Pitt News]
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