Daily Bruin

Nomenclature

The Daily Bruin was preceded by the weekly Normal Outlook on the campus of UCLA's predecessor, the Los Angeles State Normal School, from 1910 through 1918 or 1919 (the records are incomplete).^[6]:3–6

Upon the establishment in fall 1919 of the Southern Branch of the University of California, as UCLA was first known, the twice-weekly Cub Californian was first issued on Sept. 29, 1919. Its name was changed to the California Grizzly with the issue of March 21, 1924, and on Sept. 13, 1925 it began to publish five days a week.^[6]:7,17,19

On October 22, 1926, the newspaper became known as the California Daily Bruin.^[7] During World War II it reduced its publication frequency to three times a week under the title California Bruin,^[6]:66 reverting to a daily publication at war's end. On April 2, 1948, the name was changed to UCLA Daily Bruin.^{[6]:91, 92}

Control

The newspaper has generally been under control of the student organization now known as the Associated Students UCLA, or ASUCLA, although during the summer sessions of the 1920s and 1930s "the newspapers were used as laboratory papers for journalism classes, with financial support coming directly from the University." In the 1950s the Summer Bruin was again taken over by the Administration, and '"controversial social issues" were banned from print during the summers.^{[6]:128–129}

Until 1955 the Associated Students was considered the publisher of the Daily Bruin, sometimes directly under the student council and sometimes with the interposition of a Publications Board. Editors were named by the student council. This system resulted in frequent political struggles between the staff (which nominated candidates for the key editorial positions) and the student council.^{[6]:50 and following}

During the height of the McCarthy era, with the newspaper staff being accused of Communist leanings, the university administration in 1955 revised the governance of the paper and instituted a system whereby the student body itself elected the editor (see below).^{[6]:144–145} "Editors had to run for elective office just like politicians, and the newspaper was closely controlled by the [student] Council," wrote William C. Ackerman, the ASUCLA graduate administrator.^[8]

The practice of student election of editors ended in 1963 with the establishment of the ASUCLA Communications Board,^[6]:150 a student-led organization that selects the editors of the Bruin as well as the editors for the other seven newsmagazines and UCLA Radio.^[9]

'Hell's Bells'

In 1926, editor John F. Cohee was expelled from school by Ernest Carroll Moore, the campus administrator and director, for what Moore called "certain indecent statements which affront the good name of the women of the University." These were apparently a tongue-in-cheek "report" that some sorority women had been seen cavorting nude in the Pacific Ocean surf.^[6]:25–32

This article was included in a twice-yearly burlesque edition of the Daily Bruin known as "Hell's Bells." (Cohee transferred to the Berkeley campus and was graduated there in 1927. He later went on to become a professional reporter.)^[6]:25–32

Three years later Director Moore suspended 14 students for publishing in the January 23, 1929, issue of "Hell's Bells" "the filthiest and most indecent piece of printed matter that any of us has ever seen." Some of those students were later reinstated. That was the last issue of "Hell's Bells."^[6]:25–32

1954 protest and student election of editors

On December 15, 1954, the editor of the Daily Bruin and a group of 250 students demonstrated against administrative action that required the newspaper to adopt a constitution "because it would otherwise be operating 'under sufferance and illegally.'" Dean of Students Milton E. Hahn had sent a memorandum to Chancellor Raymond B. Allen on Dec. 7. 1954, "after a preparation period of almost two years." He wrote:

For twenty years there has been no commonly accepted policy regarding the student publications at U.C.L.A. The Bruin has been the chief problem. It has been a prime target for Marxist groups which, at times, have had almost complete control.^[6]:133

"We have gathered here for the mock funeral of The Daily Bruin as a free newspaper," said editor Martin McReynolds. "The Bruin is not actually dead yet, but on the students' action will depend whether it will live or die."^[6]:133

The response was sparked by the actions of the UCLA administration in the preceding years. During the summer of 1954, Hahn proceeded in his attempt to bring about a more "responsible" Bruin. Eventually, on November 23, 1954, President Sproul granted approval by telegram for a new student-election plan for the Daily Bruin. The Bruin was not informed of any of the changes to the editorial structure, though editor McReynolds caught word of the plan and wrote an editorial on Dec. 8, stating that "Someone, probably the Administration, has been planning this change for at least six weeks. The planning has all been kept secret from The Daily Bruin and the students at large." December 8 was the same day Hahn submitted the plan to the Student Council.^[6]:145

There were to be student elections for editor, who would name his own editorial board, subject to approval by the Student Council and veto by the Administration. Because of lack of time, elections would not be held in the spring semester, but an editorial board would be chosen by a two-man committee composed of Student Body President Skip Byrne and an Administration representative.^[6]:145

In addition to this limitation, the plan required that:

• Non-staff opinion pieces would be limited to 150 words in "Grins and Growls," as the letters column was known.
• Controversial articles would be "matched" with an opposing opinion.
• The plan said "the editorial columns shall be used by the editor-in-chief in any manner consonant with journalistic practice and the wishes of SLC [Student Legislative Council] subject to the contribution that contributors be bona fide staff members or members of SLC."

A total of 3,004 signatures, representing one-fifth of the student body, were collected for a petition to be sent to Sproul to retract the plan. The number of signatures was about a thousand more than the number of student who voted in the preceding ASUCLA election.^{[6]:145–146}

Loud Bark and Curious Eyes states that Sproul

. . . asserted in an unpublicized memo to Allen that it was a "local matter" for UCLA authorities alone to decide, though he did not mention the series of memoranda in the Berkeley office nor his own telegram of Nov. 23.^{[6]:146–147}

The Bruin staff nominated six candidates to become editors the following year, but all six were rejected by the selection committee appointed to decide on the new editors.

21st Century

In 2013, the Daily Bruin’s publisher laid off most of its full-time employees, following more than a decade of consistently declining advertising revenues that reflected the national newspaper industry. Despite layoffs, it retained UCLA Student Media Director Doria Deen, editorial advisor Abigail Goldman and Business Manager Jeremy Wildman.^[10]

In spring 2016, UCLA's student body voted in favor of the "Daily Bruin and Bruinwalk.com Referendum", which guaranteed student fees to support the Bruin as its print advertising revenues continue to decline.^[11]

The Stack

The Daily Bruin implemented a data journalism and newsroom tech blog called "The Stack," taking public data and organizing it into quantitative graphics and visualizations.^[12] Some of "The Stack's" projects have included examining data from University of California employee pay, weaknesses in campus computer systems, and allocation of funds to UCLA's student organizations from the student government.^[12][13] "The Stack" also makes all the code on its blog available under open-source licenses on GitHub.^[12]

Stonewall

In 2013, the Daily Bruin created the "Stonewall" as an online record of sources who "stonewalled," or refused to speak, with reporters.^[14] The "Stonewall" was created in effort to maintain transparency with readers about individuals in the community who thwarted Daily Bruin reporters' attempts at providing information.^[14] The most recent stone added to the "Stonewall" was on January 1, 2015, for when the Diversity Chancellor Search Committee refused to release its list of names of candidates.^[14]

Normal Outlook

• 1910-1911 Clarence Hodges, Shirley D. Burns
• 1911-1915 No records available
• 1915-1916 Albert T. Blanford, Gertrude C. Maloney, Willette Long, Eva Smith
• 1916-1917 Lee Roy Smith, Eva Throckmorton
• 1917-1918 Elizabeth Lee Polk, Nina Ehlers
• 1918-1919 No records available

Cub Californian

• 1919-1921 Dale Stoddard, Alice Lookabaugh, Fern Ashley, David K. Barnwell
• 1920-1921 Mildred Sanborn
• 1921-1922 John A. Worley
• 1922-1923 Irving C. Kramer
• 1923 (fall) Irving C. Kramer

California Grizzly

• 1924 (spring) Fred M. Jordan
• 1924-1925 John F. Cohee, Robert W. Kerr
• 1925-1926 John F. Cohee, Ben Person

Daily Bruin

National

Associated Collegiate Press – Pacemaker Awards

• Newspaper Pacemaker
  • Winner: 2016, 2014, 2011, 2004, 1990^{[19][20][21][22]}
  • Finalist: 2017, 2015, 2012, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2003, 1985^{[23][24][25][26]}
• Online Pacemaker
  • Winner: 2017, 2016, 2005^[27][28]
  • Finalist: 2012, 2007^[25][26]
• Magazine Pacemaker (for prime magazine)
  • Winner: 2013, 2012
  • Finalist: 2017, 2016^[29]

Society of Professional Journalists – National Mark of Excellence Awards

• Best all-around daily student newspaper
  • Winner: 2006, 2004^[22][30]
  • Finalist: 2015, 2014, 2013^[31][32][33]

Regional

Society of Professional Journalists – Region 11 Mark of Excellence Awards

• Best all-around daily student newspaper
  • Winner: 2015, 2014, 2013, 2009, 2007, 2005, 2004^{[22][34][35][36][37][38][39]}
  • Finalist: 2016, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2006^{[40][41][42][43][44]}
• Best affiliated website
  • Winner: 2011, 2010^[42][43]
  • Finalist: 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2006^{[34][35][36][41][44]}

State

California College Media Association – Excellence in Student Media Awards

• General newspaper excellence
  • First place: 2016, 2015, 2014, 2011, 2004^{[22][45][46][47][48]}
  • Second place: 2013, 2012^[49][50]
• General website excellence
  • First place: 2015, 2011, 2004^[22][46][48]
  • Second place: 2017, 2016, 2014, 2012^{[51][45][47][50]}
  • Third place: 2013^[49]
• Best overall design
  • First place: 2015, 2014, 2012^[46][47][50]
  • Honorable mention: 2017^[51]

California Newspaper Publishers Association – Campus Excellence in Journalism Awards

• Best four-year newspaper
  • First place: 2015, 2005, 2004^[22][52]

Local

Los Angeles Press Club – SoCal Journalism Awards

• Best college newspaper
  • Second place: 2014^[53]
  • Third place: 2016, 2015, 2013^[54][55][56]
• Best news website
  • First place: 2016, 2014^[53][54]
  • Second place: 2015^[55]

Awards last updated in May 2017