Daily Free Press
Encyclopedia
The Daily Free Press, an independent student newspaper
at Boston University
, began publication in 1970. On May 1, two newspapers merged into The Daily Free Press as students were responding to the Kent State shootings
with a violent protest. Final exams and graduation
were cancelled, and The Daily Free Press captured the moment in its first issue. It is now the publication at BU with the longest continuing run.
around the BU campus
. As of January 2006, circulation was 4,000 on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and 9,000 on Thursday.
The Daily Free Press has won numerous awards for its reporting, including the Columbia Press Association's Gold Medal Award for Excellence. The paper covers campus news, local (Boston-area) news, and campus sports, and publishes editorials, columns, and letters each day. In January 1980, the Arts and Entertainment coverage became The Muse, the FreeP's weekly A&E publication. Science Tuesday, the first collegiate weekly science section, began in the 1990s. Spotlight and InBusiness also provide students with a variety of feature stories on Wednesdays and Fridays, respectively.
The editorial staff of the FreeP is strictly volunteer. All writers, photographers and business staffers are BU students. Members of the editorial board regularly put in 50–60 hours per week, in addition to their classes. The editorial staff changes every semester, with the new staff being selected by a board of former FreeP editors. Stylistic, editorial and proofreading preference and ability shift with each new staff.
Every issue has a daily crossword puzzle and sudoku for students to complete.
Many alumni have gone on to careers in journalism
, television
and film
, and a few have won the Pulitzer Prize
.
The current sports editor is Craig Meyer. He is assisted by associate sports editors Tim Healey and Meredith Perri.
On September 28, 2006 The Daily Free Press launched f-Stop Online, the paper's photographic journal. The journal is published every two weeks with the best photography
that has been published in the paper, as well as photographer profiles and photo stories. f-Stop is run primarily by the photo editor with oversight from the editor-in-chief. Originally printed monthly in The Daily Free Press in the early 1990s, f-Stop discontinued paper publication due to the high cost.
The following are some of the articles and editorials that, for brief moments, brought citywide, and sometimes national, attention to The Daily Free Press.
students. It publishes the student paper 'The Daily Free Press"
Student newspaper
A student newspaper is a newspaper run by students of a university, high school, middle school, or other school. These papers traditionally cover local and, primarily, school or university news....
at Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
, began publication in 1970. On May 1, two newspapers merged into The Daily Free Press as students were responding to the Kent State shootings
Kent State shootings
The Kent State shootings—also known as the May 4 massacre or the Kent State massacre—occurred at Kent State University in the city of Kent, Ohio, and involved the shooting of unarmed college students by members of the Ohio National Guard on Monday, May 4, 1970...
with a violent protest. Final exams and graduation
Graduation
Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates. Before the graduation, candidates are referred to as Graduands. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is also...
were cancelled, and The Daily Free Press captured the moment in its first issue. It is now the publication at BU with the longest continuing run.
Overview
The Daily Free Press (commonly called The FreeP) had published an issue every instructional day since its formation until February 13, 2009. Earlier that week, the paper announced it would discontinue its Friday print publication due to the nation's fiscal crisis. It is distributed in most instructional buildings and dormitoriesDormitory
A dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
around the BU campus
Campus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
. As of January 2006, circulation was 4,000 on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and 9,000 on Thursday.
The Daily Free Press has won numerous awards for its reporting, including the Columbia Press Association's Gold Medal Award for Excellence. The paper covers campus news, local (Boston-area) news, and campus sports, and publishes editorials, columns, and letters each day. In January 1980, the Arts and Entertainment coverage became The Muse, the FreeP's weekly A&E publication. Science Tuesday, the first collegiate weekly science section, began in the 1990s. Spotlight and InBusiness also provide students with a variety of feature stories on Wednesdays and Fridays, respectively.
The editorial staff of the FreeP is strictly volunteer. All writers, photographers and business staffers are BU students. Members of the editorial board regularly put in 50–60 hours per week, in addition to their classes. The editorial staff changes every semester, with the new staff being selected by a board of former FreeP editors. Stylistic, editorial and proofreading preference and ability shift with each new staff.
Every issue has a daily crossword puzzle and sudoku for students to complete.
Many alumni have gone on to careers in journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
, television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, and a few have won the Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
.
Sports
The Daily Free Press sports section is notable for its extensive coverage of all BU sports teams, both varsity and club. It also features top-notch basketball and hockey blogs –– Full Court Press and the Boston Hockey Blog respectively. In addition to its distinguished writing, the sports section is largely responsible for keeping the office's atmosphere loose and upbeat.The current sports editor is Craig Meyer. He is assisted by associate sports editors Tim Healey and Meredith Perri.
The Daily Free Press Online
Since January 1996, The Daily Free Press Online has been published at dailyfreepress.com every day that the print publication is distributed. The most recent online readership figures for the online edition are 28,000 weekly user sessions and 120,000 monthly page views.On September 28, 2006 The Daily Free Press launched f-Stop Online, the paper's photographic journal. The journal is published every two weeks with the best photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
that has been published in the paper, as well as photographer profiles and photo stories. f-Stop is run primarily by the photo editor with oversight from the editor-in-chief. Originally printed monthly in The Daily Free Press in the early 1990s, f-Stop discontinued paper publication due to the high cost.
Financial Woes
As of August 2009, Back Bay Publishing Co., the student-run company that owns the newspaper, owed more than $67,500 to their printer Turley Publications and just under $10,000 in rent to Boston University and had not paid some of their office staff for two months, according to a financial report compiled by a former editor-in-chief.Notable Daily Free Press Alumni
Some of the editors and writers of the Free Press have gone on to successful careers in the media include:- David Barboza, a BeijingBeijingBeijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
-based correspondent at The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
; - Jim Bourg, Photographer/Photo Editor, ReutersReutersReuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
- Mark Cardwell, Managing Editor, Digital Media, The Denver PostThe Denver Post-Ownership:The Post is the flagship newspaper of MediaNews Group Inc., founded in 1983 by William Dean Singleton and Richard Scudder. MediaNews is today one of the nation's largest newspaper chains, publisher of 61 daily newspapers and more than 120 non-daily publications in 13 states. MediaNews...
- Andrew Cohen, Denver-based lawyerLawyerA lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and the CBS NewsCBS NewsCBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
legal affairs correspondent; - Gabriel Donio, owner and publisher of The Hammonton GazetteHammonton GazetteThe Hammonton Gazette is the local weekly newspaper of Hammonton, New Jersey. It was founded in 1997 by the then-23-year-old Gabriel J. Donio and is owned by The Hammonton Gazette Inc. Gabriel J. Donio is the owner and publisher of The Gazette. Gina L. Rullo is the editor-in-chief. The Gazette...
- Ian Donnis, an editor and media critic at The Providence PhoenixThe Phoenix (newspaper)The Phoenix is the name of several alternative weekly newspapers published in the United States by Phoenix Media/Communications Group of Boston, Massachusetts including the Boston Phoenix, the Providence Phoenix, the Portland Phoenix and the now-defunct Worcester Phoenix...
; - Bruce FeirsteinBruce FeirsteinBruce Feirstein is an American screenwriter and humorist, best known for his contributions to the James Bond series and his best-selling humor books, including Real Men Don't Eat Quiche and Nice Guys Sleep Alone. Real Men Don't Eat Quiche was on the New York Times best seller list for 53...
, an author, magazine writer and screenwriterScreenwriterScreenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
; - Ian Fisher, the RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
correspondent at The New York Times; - Dan Forst, Staff writer at San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco Chroniclethumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
(now freelance) - David Wainer, freelancer based in Jerusalem for Bloomberg News, Jerusalem Post, Haaretz
- Steve Gelsi, reporter at CBSMarketWatch.
- Larry Hackett, managing editor, People magazine
- Joseph T. Hallinan, an author and 1991 Pulitzer Prize1991 Pulitzer PrizeThe following are the Pulitzer Prizes for 1991. The year was significant because not only were awards given for all categories, but two separate awards were given for International Reporting.- Journalism awards :*Public Service:...
-winner for work done at the Indianapolis Star, currently Wall Street Journal reporter ; - Ray Henry, reporter, Associated PressAssociated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
- Gerald Herbert, staff photographer, The Associated PressAssociated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
- Matthew Horovitz, television producerTelevision producerThe primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
; - Kenneth Irby, photographer, Group Leader & Diversity Director, The Poynter InstitutePoynter InstituteThe Poynter Institute is a non-profit school for journalism located in St. Petersburg, Florida. The school's mission statement says that "The Poynter Institute is a school dedicated to teaching and inspiring journalists and media leaders. It promotes excellence and integrity in the practice of...
. - Jeff Kline, an award-winning producer of children's TV programs;
- Larry Lebowitz, reporter, The Miami HeraldThe Miami HeraldThe Miami Herald is a daily newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company headquartered on Biscayne Bay in the Omni district of Downtown Miami, Florida, United States...
- Mike Mokrzycki, Director of Polling, The Associated Press
- Bill O'ReillyBill O'Reilly (commentator)William James "Bill" O'Reilly, Jr. is an American television host, author, syndicated columnist and political commentator. He is the host of the political commentary program The O'Reilly Factor on the Fox News Channel, which is the most watched cable news television program on American television...
, television personality and journalist; - Don Van Natta, Jr.Don Van Natta, Jr.Don Van Natta Jr. is an author and an investigative correspondent at The New York Times, where he was a member of two Pulitzer Prize-winning teams.-Life:...
, an author and member of The New York Times staff receiving the Pulitzer PrizePulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
in 19991999 Pulitzer Prize- Journalism awards :*Public Service:**The Washington Post, for its series that identified and analyzed patterns of reckless gunplay by city police officers who had little training or supervision.*Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting:...
& 20022002 Pulitzer Prize-Journalism:* Public Service:**The New York Times, for A Nation Challenged, a special section published regularly after the September 11th terrorist attacks on America, which coherently and comprehensively covered the tragic events, profiled the victims, and tracked the developing story, locally...
; - Jessica Van Sack, chief enterprise reporter, the Boston HeraldBoston HeraldThe Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
- Chris Nagi, managing editor, Bloomberg News
- Onell R. Soto, part of Pulitzer Prize-winning team at The San Diego Union-Tribune.
- Lisa Anne Auerbach, artist and recognized as one of the best American travel writers.
- Narendra Nandoe, Chief of the Publishing Section at the United Nations in New York.
Significant Stories/Editorials in The Daily Free Press' History
The Daily Free Press has at times drawn widespread attention for its coverage of, and opinions about, local issues.The following are some of the articles and editorials that, for brief moments, brought citywide, and sometimes national, attention to The Daily Free Press.
- In 1988, The Daily Free Press writers Roger Ochoa and Chris Nagi covered the Ramones rally attended by more than 1500 students in protest of the university's ban on the historic rock 'n' roll band..
- In 1990, The Daily Free Press supported John SilberJohn SilberJohn Robert Silber is an American academician and former candidate for public office. From 1971 to 1996 he was President of Boston University and from 1996 to 2003 Chancellor of the University. Since 2003 he has been its President Emeritus. In 1990, Silber took a leave of absence from the...
's opponent in the DemocraticDemocratic Party (United States)The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
primary for Massachusetts governor. Silber, then on leave from his position as President of Boston University, was a dark horse primary winner and showed strong momentum in the campaign until its very last days.
- In 2003, The Daily Free Press covered the board's tumultuous decision not to allow president-elect Daniel GoldinDaniel GoldinDaniel Saul Goldin served as the 9th and longest-tenured Administrator of NASA from April 1, 1992, to November 17, 2001. He was appointed by President George H. W. Bush and also served under President William Jefferson Clinton and George W...
to take the job.
- In 2004, The Daily Free Press covered the launching of Facebook.com before it became a national phenomenon.
- In 2004, The Daily Free Press reported from inside the State House as the Legislature debated a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriageSame-sex marriageSame-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
.
- In 2004, The Daily Free Press reported on the ground from Kenmore Square after the Boston Red SoxBoston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
won their first World SeriesWorld SeriesThe World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
in 86 years. The riots that followed led to citywide legislation imposing strict penalties on students who commit crimes off campus.
- In 2004, The Daily Free Press reported from the press gallery at John KerryJohn KerryJohn Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
's election night campaign rally in Copley SquareCopley SquareCopley Square is a public square located in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, named for the donor of the land on which it was developed. The square is named for John Singleton Copley, a famous portrait painter of the late 18th century and native of Boston. A bronze statue of...
. The FreeP's earlier coverage of "Votergasm," a controversial voter registration drive in which participants pledged to abstain from sex with non-voters, was cited by Rush LimbaughRush LimbaughRush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
on his radio show.
- In 2005, when two BU students were struck and killed by an MBTA commuter rail train behind Boston University's West Campus, The Daily Free Press coverage and editorial regarding the tragedy were spotlighted throughout the city, including citations by the Boston Globe and Harvard Crimson, among others.
- In 2005, The Boston Globe reported that because of an article in The Daily Free Press, mayoral candidate Maura HenniganMaura HenniganMaura A. Hennigan is an American politician who currently serves as the Clerk Magistrate of the Suffolk County, Massachusetts Superior Court Criminal/Business Division...
's campaign manager Mitch Kates's job was in question. Kates sparked controversy when he spoke at a meeting of the Boston University College Democrats and denounced mayor Thomas Menino, calling him "a drooling teddy bear" and hurling other such insults. Despite the controversy, The Daily Free Press endorsed Hennigan for mayor.
- In 2006, an editorial in The Daily Free Press was cited in the Metro for recommending that the MBTA increase fares even higher than initially proposed in order to significantly improve service.
- In 2009, The Daily Free Press discovered that the Boston University administration was dealing with the H1N1 pandemic by actively isolating and moving students with influenza-like symptoms into dormitories with healthy students without informing the residents of the introduced risk. While the administration was following the Centers for Disease Control's isolation recommendations, students protested the lack of administration's lack of transparency in dealing with the epidemic. Students who were isolated also complained of poor treatment.
- In 2009, The Daily Free Press provided extensive coverage of the Boston mayoral election, bringing candidates into the newsroom for in-depth interviews that later led to an endorsement of City Councilor-At-Large Michael Flaherty and his running mate, City Councilor-At-Large Sam Yoon.
- Menino 'positive' on win
- 'Floon' challenges incumbent
- STAFF EDIT: Progressing from the machine
- Flaherty, Yoon to run on joint ticket
- From Menino: 'a city that works for everyone'
- Flaherty: 'I subscribe to our Boston'
- Anti-politician McCrea demands total transparency
- Yoon pledges change if elected
- STAFF EDIT: A call for change
Back Bay Publishing Co., Inc
Back Bay Publishing Co., Inc., is a nonprofit Massachusetts corporation operated by Boston UniversityBoston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
students. It publishes the student paper 'The Daily Free Press"