Michigan Daily
Encyclopedia
The Michigan Daily is the daily student newspaper of the University of Michigan
. Its first edition was published on September 29, 1890. The newspaper is financially and editorially independent of the University's administration and other student groups, but shares a university building with other student publications on 420 Maynard Street, north of the Michigan Union
and Huetwell Student Activities Center. In 2007, renovations to the historic building at 420 Maynard were completed, funded entirely by private donations from alumni. To dedicate the renovated building, a reunion of the staffs of The Michigan Daily, the Michiganensian yearbook, and the Gargoyle humor magazine was held on October 26–28, 2007.
The Michigan Daily is published in broadsheet form five days a week, Monday through Friday, during the Fall and Winter semesters. It is published weekly in tabloid form from May to August. Mondays contain a lengthy SportsMonday Sports section. On Thursdays, the paper publishes an extended arts section called The B-side. Wednesdays include a magazine, originally titled Weekend Magazine. In the fall of 2005, the magazine was renamed The Statement, a reference to former Daily Editor in Chief Tom Hayden
's Port Huron Statement
. Daily print circulation is currently over 18,000 copies, with over 230,000 unique visitors per month to its website.
Following the closure of The Ann Arbor News in July 2009, The Michigan Daily became the only printed daily newspaper published in Washtenaw County
.
delegate to the United Nations
, F. A. Novikov
, singled out the newspaper as emblematic of American
warmongering. On April 12, 1955, when the success of Jonas Salk
's polio vaccine was announced at the University of Michigan the Daily was the first newspaper to report it. In 1957, the Daily sent a staff member to Little Rock, Arkansas who, pretending to be a student, attended classes on the first day of integration.
Activist and politician Tom Hayden
, a former Daily editor in chief who helped found Students for a Democratic Society
while editing the Daily, came to personify the publication's editorial philosophy during the 1960s. The paper was the subject of national press coverage when, in 1967, it urged the legalization of marijuana
, and again during the Gulf War
in 1991, when it called for the reinstatement of the military draft.
The Daily was instrumental in the spread of the Paul is dead
urban legend
. An October 14, 1969 Daily article by Fred LaBour
and John Gray, entitled "McCartney Dead; New Evidence Brought to Light", itemed various "clues", many of them of their own invention, of McCartney's death is claimed by Beatleologist Andru J. Reeve to have been "the single most significant factor in the breadth of the rumor's spread."
The first woman editor-in-chief of the Daily was Harriett Woods
, who later served in Missouri State government, ran for the Senate twice in the 1980s nearly beating John Danforth the first time, and led the National Women's Political Caucus
through its Year of the Woman in 1992.
Daily alumni who have won a Pulitzer Prize
include:
The Editor in Chief in 2011 is Stephanie Steinberg, a former news reporter and editor.
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. Its first edition was published on September 29, 1890. The newspaper is financially and editorially independent of the University's administration and other student groups, but shares a university building with other student publications on 420 Maynard Street, north of the Michigan Union
Michigan Union
The Michigan Union is a student union at the University of Michigan. It is located at the intersection of South State Street and South University Avenue in Ann Arbor, Michigan....
and Huetwell Student Activities Center. In 2007, renovations to the historic building at 420 Maynard were completed, funded entirely by private donations from alumni. To dedicate the renovated building, a reunion of the staffs of The Michigan Daily, the Michiganensian yearbook, and the Gargoyle humor magazine was held on October 26–28, 2007.
The Michigan Daily is published in broadsheet form five days a week, Monday through Friday, during the Fall and Winter semesters. It is published weekly in tabloid form from May to August. Mondays contain a lengthy SportsMonday Sports section. On Thursdays, the paper publishes an extended arts section called The B-side. Wednesdays include a magazine, originally titled Weekend Magazine. In the fall of 2005, the magazine was renamed The Statement, a reference to former Daily Editor in Chief Tom Hayden
Tom Hayden
Thomas Emmet "Tom" Hayden is an American social and political activist and politician, known for his involvement in the animal rights, and the anti-war and civil rights movements of the 1960s. He is the former husband of actress Jane Fonda and the father of actor Troy Garity.-Life and...
's Port Huron Statement
Port Huron Statement
The Port Huron Statement is the manifesto of the American student activist movement Students for a Democratic Society , written primarily by Tom Hayden, then the Field Secretary of SDS, and completed on June 15, 1962 at an SDS convention at what is now a state park in Lakeport, Michigan, a...
. Daily print circulation is currently over 18,000 copies, with over 230,000 unique visitors per month to its website.
Following the closure of The Ann Arbor News in July 2009, The Michigan Daily became the only printed daily newspaper published in Washtenaw County
Washtenaw County, Michigan
Washtenaw County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 344,791. Its county seat is Ann Arbor. The United States Office of Management and Budget defines the county as part of the Detroit–Warren–Flint Combined Statistical Area...
.
History
In 1952, the SovietSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
delegate to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, F. A. Novikov
Novikov
Novikov, Novikoff or Novikova is one of the most common Russian surnames. Derived from novik - a teenager on military service who comes from a noble, boyar or cossack family in Russia of 16th-18th centuries...
, singled out the newspaper as emblematic of American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
warmongering. On April 12, 1955, when the success of Jonas Salk
Jonas Salk
Jonas Edward Salk was an American medical researcher and virologist, best known for his discovery and development of the first safe and effective polio vaccine. He was born in New York City to parents from Ashkenazi Jewish Russian immigrant families...
's polio vaccine was announced at the University of Michigan the Daily was the first newspaper to report it. In 1957, the Daily sent a staff member to Little Rock, Arkansas who, pretending to be a student, attended classes on the first day of integration.
Activist and politician Tom Hayden
Tom Hayden
Thomas Emmet "Tom" Hayden is an American social and political activist and politician, known for his involvement in the animal rights, and the anti-war and civil rights movements of the 1960s. He is the former husband of actress Jane Fonda and the father of actor Troy Garity.-Life and...
, a former Daily editor in chief who helped found Students for a Democratic Society
Students for a Democratic Society (1960 organization)
Students for a Democratic Society was a student activist movement in the United States that was one of the main iconic representations of the country's New Left. The organization developed and expanded rapidly in the mid-1960s before dissolving at its last convention in 1969...
while editing the Daily, came to personify the publication's editorial philosophy during the 1960s. The paper was the subject of national press coverage when, in 1967, it urged the legalization of marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
, and again during the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
in 1991, when it called for the reinstatement of the military draft.
The Daily was instrumental in the spread of the Paul is dead
Paul Is Dead
"Paul is dead" is an urban legend suggesting that Paul McCartney of the English rock band The Beatles died in 1966 and was secretly replaced by a look-alike....
urban legend
Urban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
. An October 14, 1969 Daily article by Fred LaBour
Fred LaBour
Frederick LaBour , better known by his stage name Too Slim, is a Grammy award winning American musician, best known for his work with the Western swing musical and comedy group Riders in the Sky....
and John Gray, entitled "McCartney Dead; New Evidence Brought to Light", itemed various "clues", many of them of their own invention, of McCartney's death is claimed by Beatleologist Andru J. Reeve to have been "the single most significant factor in the breadth of the rumor's spread."
The first woman editor-in-chief of the Daily was Harriett Woods
Harriett Woods
Harriett Woods was an American politician and activist, a two-time Democratic nominee for the United States Senate from Missouri, and a former Lieutenant Governor of Missouri...
, who later served in Missouri State government, ran for the Senate twice in the 1980s nearly beating John Danforth the first time, and led the National Women's Political Caucus
National Women's Political Caucus
The National Women's Political Caucus is a national bipartisan grassroots organization in the United States dedicated to recruiting, training, and supporting women who seek elected and appointed offices....
through its Year of the Woman in 1992.
Daily alumni who have won a 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...
include:
- Jeremy W. Peters, The Michigan Daily News Editor in 2000-01, who was part of the New York Times reporting staff, which was awarded the Pulitzer for Breaking News in April 2009, for coverage of the sex scandal that resulted in the resignation of New York Gov. Eliot SpitzerEliot SpitzerEliot Laurence Spitzer is an American lawyer, former Democratic Party politician, and political commentator. He was the co-host of In the Arena, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN until CNN cancelled his show in July of 2011...
; - Eugene RobinsonEugene Robinson (journalist)Eugene Harold Robinson is an American Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper columnist and former assistant managing editor for The Washington Post. His columns are syndicated by The Washington Post Writers Group...
, Michigan Daily Co-Editor-in-Chief in 1973–74, who was awarded a Pulitzer in April 2009 for his Washington Post commentaries on the 2008 presidential campaign; - Amy HarmonAmy HarmonAmy Harmon is a Pulitzer Prize-winning correspondent for The New York Times. After receiving a B.A. degree in American Studies from the University of Michigan, she began her career in journalism as the Opinion page editor of the Michigan Daily, the university's student newspaper...
, 2008 Explanatory Reporting Pulitzer/The New York Times; - Lisa Pollak, 1997 Feature Writing Pulitzer,The Baltimore Sun;
- Ann Marie LipinskiAnn Marie LipinskiAnn Marie Lipinski is a journalist and the curator of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard. She is the former editor of the Chicago Tribune and Vice President for Civic Engagement at the University of Chicago...
, 1988 Investigative Reporting Pulitzer, The Chicago Tribune with Dean Baquet and William Gaines; - Daniel Biddle, 1987 Investigative Reporting Pulitzer, Philadelphia Inquirer with H. G. Bissinger and Fredric N. Tulsky; Staff / The Sun Newspapers of Omaha, NE, including Stanford Lipsey, 1973 Local Investigative Specialized Reporting Pulitzer; and
- Arthur MillerArthur MillerArthur Asher Miller was an American playwright and essayist. He was a prominent figure in American theatre, writing dramas that include plays such as All My Sons , Death of a Salesman , The Crucible , and A View from the Bridge .Miller was often in the public eye,...
, 1962 Music Pulitzer and 1949 Drama Pulitzer.
The Editor in Chief in 2011 is Stephanie Steinberg, a former news reporter and editor.
Notable alumni
- Jonathan ChaitJonathan ChaitJonathan Chait is a writer for New York magazine. He was previously a senior editor at The New Republic and a former assistant editor of The American Prospect. He also writes a periodic column in the Los Angeles Times.- Personal life :...
- Lindsay ChaneyLindsay ChaneyLindsay Chaney is a senior news editor at Variety.He joined Variety in 1999. Previously he was a business editor and writer at the Long Beach Press-Telegram, covering the aerospace industry and finance. He has written for the Los Angeles Times, New York Times and Los Angeles magazine...
- Thomas DeweyThomas DeweyThomas Edmund Dewey was the 47th Governor of New York . In 1944 and 1948, he was the Republican candidate for President, but lost both times. He led the liberal faction of the Republican Party, in which he fought conservative Ohio Senator Robert A. Taft...
- Rich Eisen
- Owen GleibermanOwen GleibermanOwen Gleiberman is an American film critic for Entertainment Weekly, a position he has held since the magazine's launch in 1990. From 1981–89, he worked at the Boston Phoenix....
- Ann Marie LipinskiAnn Marie LipinskiAnn Marie Lipinski is a journalist and the curator of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard. She is the former editor of the Chicago Tribune and Vice President for Civic Engagement at the University of Chicago...
- David MargolickDavid MargolickDavid Margolick is a long-time contributing editor at Vanity Fair. Margolick has held similar positions at Newsweek and Portfolio. Prior to joining Vanity Fair he was a legal affairs reporter at The New York Times, where he wrote the weekly “At the Bar" column and covered the trials of O.J....
- Arthur MillerArthur MillerArthur Asher Miller was an American playwright and essayist. He was a prominent figure in American theatre, writing dramas that include plays such as All My Sons , Death of a Salesman , The Crucible , and A View from the Bridge .Miller was often in the public eye,...
- Daniel OkrentDaniel OkrentDaniel Okrent is an American writer and editor. He is best known for having served as the first public editor of The New York Times newspaper, for inventing Rotisserie League Baseball, and for writing several books, most recently Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition.-Education and...
- Eugene RobinsonEugene Robinson (journalist)Eugene Harold Robinson is an American Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper columnist and former assistant managing editor for The Washington Post. His columns are syndicated by The Washington Post Writers Group...
- Adam Schefter
- Robin WrightRobin Wright (author)Robin B. Wright is an American foreign affairs analyst, and an award-winning journalist and author.A graduate of the University of Michigan, she lives in Washington D.C.-Career:...
- George A. SpaterGeorge A. SpaterGeorge Alexander Spater was chairman of American Airlines from 1968 to 1973.-Early life:He was born in Detroit, Michigan, graduated from the University of Michigan in 1930 with an A.B. degree magna cum laude. He was associated with the Michigan Daily there...
, former chairman of American Airlines - Mike WallaceMike Wallace (journalist)Myron Leon "Mike" Wallace is an American journalist, former game show host, actor and media personality. During his 60+ year career, he has interviewed a wide range of prominent newsmakers....
- Bruce WassersteinBruce WassersteinBruce Jay Wasserstein was an American investment banker and businessman. He was a graduate of the McBurney School, University of Michigan, Harvard Business School, and Harvard Law School, and spent a year at Cambridge University...