The Diamondback

Infobox_Newspaper
name = The Diamondback


type = Daily newspaper
owners = Maryland Media, Inc.
format = Broadsheet
foundation = 1910
headquarters = College Park, Maryland
website = [http://www.diamondbackonline.com/ www.diamondbackonline.com]

"The Diamondback" is the independent student newspaper of the University of Maryland, College Park. It was founded in 1910 as "The Triangle" and renamed in 1921 in honor of a local reptile, the Diamondback terrapin (the terrapin became the official school mascot in 1933). The newspaper is published daily Monday through Friday during academic sessions and once a week during the summer, with a print circulation of 17,000 and annual advertising revenues of over $1 million. [ [http://www.rcfp.org/news/documents/20020530rossignolv.html Amicus brief in Rossignol v. Voorhaar ] ]

The paper's current independent status was originally intended as punishment — the Board of Regents cut off student funding after "The Diamondback's" actions in 1971, when it ran two pages blank in protest of campus censorship and placed tombstones on its editorial page in protest of the Vietnam War. [ [http://collegefreedom.org/newspaper.htm Censoring the College Press ] ]

According to the government's criminal charges Deborah Jeane Palfrey, dubbed the D.C. Madam by the news media, and who operated Pamela Martin and Associates, an escort agency in Washington, D.C. used The Diamondback for recruiting purposes. Her escorts charged as much as $300 per hour. Many have had professional careers.

The current editor in chief is Steven Overly.

ections

"The Diamondback" is split into four sections:

News - The news section covers both on- and off-campus news, specifically in the region of College Park, Maryland, but also expands coverage to Annapolis, Maryland when the state's legislature is in session.

Opinion - The editorial section contains "The Diamondback's" editorial, op-eds and letters to the editor, and editorial cartoons.

Diversions - The entertainment section contains reviews of movies and music, as well as concerts and plays around the College Park region.

Sports - The sports section covers University of Maryland athletics, including men's basketball and football. This section often has a combination of news and opinion articles.

Editorial Line

The editorial page of "The Diamondback" has a general stance of free market Libertarianism. This philosophy is seen in its opposition to rent control, calls for privatization, opposition to tax hikes and inclination for the university to decrease reliance on public funding, and support of a resolution to relax marijuana penalties on campus. [ [http://www.diamondbackonline.com/media/storage/paper873/news/2005/06/02/Opinion/Staff.Editorial.Misplaced.Efforts-2322028.shtml?norewrite200611021005&sourcedomain=www.diamondbackonline.com Staff Editorial: Misplaced efforts] ] [ [http://www.diamondbackonline.com/media/storage/paper873/news/2006/10/24/Opinion/Privatize.Dining.Services-2383683.shtml?norewrite200611021008&sourcedomain=www.diamondbackonline.com Staff Editorial: Privatize Dining Services] ] [ [http://www.diamondbackonline.com/media/storage/paper873/news/2006/05/09/Opinion/Editorial.Shelve.The.Tax.Raise.Proposal-2325513.shtml?norewrite200611020960&sourcedomain=www.diamondbackonline.com Editorial - Shelve the tax raise proposal] ] [ [http://www.diamondbackonline.com/media/storage/paper873/news/2006/10/16/Opinion/Graduating.To.Courageous.Governance-2350657.shtml?norewrite200611021007&sourcedomain=www.diamondbackonline.com Staff Editorial: Graduating to courageous governance] ] [ [http://media.www.diamondbackonline.com/media/storage/paper873/news/2007/02/28/Opinion/CoOpted-2746707.shtml Staff Editorial: Co-opted?] ]

Awards

For the 2005-2006 school year, "The Diamondback" received a Mark of Excellence award from the Society of Professional Journalists, placing 3rd nationally for Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper and placing first in its region in the same category.

Alumni

Journalists

Notable journalists who worked at "The Diamondback" include:
*Jayson Blair (editor-in-chief in 1996), former journalist for "The New York Times". Blair achieved nationwide notoriety as a journalist at the "Times" for having made serious reporting errors plus plagiarizing and/or making up stories. A letter signed by 30 former "Diamondback" staffers regarding the situation with Blair also complained about the lack of involvement by the board which owns the paper. [http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/arts/bal-as.blair23,0,3313659.story] [http://www.uwire.com/content//topnews061303002.html]
*Norman Chad (editor-in-chief in 1978), an ESPN columnist and World Series of Poker commentator.
*Gary Gately, a former Baltimore Sun editor and reporter and freelancer for The New York Times and The Boston Globe.
*David Mills, a former features writer for "The Washington Times" and "The Washington Post". Mills also found success in Hollywood. He was a television writer for "NYPD Blue" from 1995 to 1997. He also wrote several episodes of "" and "ER". In 2003, he created "Kingpin", an NBC miniseries. He has won two Emmy Awards.
*Michael Olesker, former journalist for the Baltimore Sun and commentator for WJZ-TV, now working for the Baltimore Examiner. He resigned from the "Sun" after accusations of plagiarism.
*David Simon, author of ' and "The Corner". Based on his books, Simon later created the TV series ' and "The Wire", as well as the mini-series, "The Corner".
*Larry Weisman (sports editor in the early 1970s), a journalist at "USA Today".
*David Lightman, Washington reporter for McClatchy

Cartoonists

*Frank Cho's strip "Liberty Meadows" started as a cartoon strip called "University²" for "The Diamondback."
*Aaron McGruder's comic strip "The Boondocks" first premiered in "The Diamondback" in 1997. The comic has since gone on to widespread success in syndication, and has its own television show.
*Jeff Kinney's comic strip "Igdoof" ran in the "The Diamondback" in the early 1990's. He writes and illustrates the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" book series and web comic.

References

External links

* [http://www.diamondbackonline.com Official website of "The Diamondback"]
* [http://www.umd.edu Official website of the University of Maryland]