CU Independent

CU Independent
Type Student News Website
Founded 1978
Headquarters 1511 University Ave. Room 205, 478 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0478
Website cuindependent.com

The CU Independent is the student-run news publication for the University of Colorado Boulder. It has been digital-only since 2006, when it became one of the first major college newspapers to drop its print edition.[1]

The website has a staff of about 60 students serving as editors, reporters, and photographers. Most are journalism majors, but students from other majors also contribute.

The students update the online edition with new content at least once a day during the fall and spring semesters. The website serves both desktop and laptop computers as well as smartphones and other mobile devices.

There are about 20 section editors who assign stories to reporters and work with the visual staff to produce photographs, videos, and graphics. A managing editor and an editor-in-chief oversee the website.

The CU Independent received four regional awards from the Society of Professional Journalists in 2014, including "Best Digital-Only Student Publication."[2]

History

The CU Independent was founded in 1978 as the Working Press but soon adopted the name Campus Press. It was launched by Mal Deans, a CU journalism instructor, to serve as a student-run newspaper after the Colorado Daily left campus and became a community newspaper.[3]

The Campus Press published a weekly printed edition in the fall and spring semesters as part of a journalism class. It began publishing online in April 1994, making it the first online newspaper in Colorado.

The Campus Press became an online-only publication in August 2006, years ahead of most college newspapers. The tagline on the website was changed from "CU's only independent student voice" to "CU's only student voice."[1]

The publication's name was changed to the CU Independent in August 2008 as it split from the journalism school's curriculum in the wake of a controversy over a student journalist's racially charged column. The journalism program continues to provide office space, computers, and other resources and to retain the editors and adviser on payroll.[4]

The CU Independent launched a new website on January 12, 2009, and again in September 2017.

Awards

2014

  • Best Digital-Only Student Publication (Winner) [5]
  • Online News Reporting (Winner): "Boulder Flood 2013 coverage" by CU Independent Staff [5]
  • Online Sports Reporting (Winner): "Upset: Men's basketball wins Arizona rematch" by Jillian Arja, Will Collins, Kai Casey, and Jmes Bradbury [5]
  • Online Opinion & Commentary (Winner): Lizzy Hernandez with CU Independent [5]

2015

  • 2015 Online Pacemaker Award[6]
  • Best Digital-Only Student Publication (Winner)[7]
  • Online Feature Reporting (Finalist): People of 4/20 by Patrick Fort Kai Casey, and Rob Denton[7]
  • Online In-Depth Reporting (Finalist): Economic upturn might not be enough for Colorado Democrats in congressional midterms by Lars Gesing[7]
  • Online In-Depth Reporting (Finalist): The party of non-voters: Meet Colorado's no-shows by Lars Gesing[7]
  • Online News Reporting (Winner): Senator Udall visits CU on campaign trail by Lars Gesing, Gray Bender, and Nigel Amstock[7]
  • Online Opinion & Commentary (Winner): Opinion: The view on Ferguson, Mike Brown and the America by Ellis Arnold[7]

2016

  • 2016 Online Pacemaker Award[8]
  • Best Digital-Only Student Publication (Winner)[9]
  • Best Use of Multimedia (Finalist): Your money, your vote: all you need to know by CU Independent Staff[9]
  • Online Feature Reporting (Finalist): Standing OUt: Being an African-American athlete at CU by Ellis Arnold[9]
  • Online News Reporting (Finalist): Immigration rally puts forth message of acceptance and action by Sarah Farley, Alexis Clark, and Danny Anderson[9]
  • Online News Reporting (Finalist): Missing CU student had 'spiritual awakening,' personal life changes before disappearance by Ellis Arnold[9]
  • Online Opinion & Commentary (Winner): Kaley LaQuea opinion writing[9]
  • Online Opinion & Commentary (Finalist): McPeak's Politics by Emily McPeak[9]

A photograph taken by CU Independent staff member, and University of Colorado - Boulder student, Andy Duann is showing the falling bear was upvoted 7,700 times and generated at least 400 comments on Reddit. It also inspired Tumblr pages Bearflop[10] and Falling Bear.[11] The image was also picked up by major internet news sites including The Guardian, Washington Post,[12] and International Business Times, as well as Huffington Post, Boing Boing, and Mashable.

References

  1. 1 2 "The Campus Press in cyberspace," Inside CU, March 13, 2007
  2. ↑ "Region 9 Mark of Excellence Awards winners announced in Salt Lake City". SPJ News. Society of Professional Journalists. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  3. ↑ "Mal Deans was a 'journalist's journalist,'" The Daily Camera, December 30, 2005
  4. ↑ "Campus Press no more, CU Independent takes off," The Daily Camera, August 16, 2008
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Region 9 Mark of Excellence Awards winners announced in Salt Lake City". SPJ News. Society of Professional Journalists. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  6. ↑ "ACP - 2015 Online Pacemaker Finalists". studentpress.org.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 https://www.spj.org/news.asp?ref=1340
  8. ↑ "CU Independent wins collegiate journalism's preeminent award". 7 December 2016.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 https://www.spj.org/news.asp?ref=1429
  10. ↑ "Bear Flop: Archive". bearflop.tumblr.com.
  11. ↑ "Falling Bear: Archive". falling-bear.tumblr.com.
  12. ↑ "Bear Falling From Tree While Tranquilized at University of Colorado Caught on Film [PHOTOS & VIDEO]". 27 April 2012.
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