Washington Square News
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| Washington Square News | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name | Washington Square News |
| Type | Student newspaper |
| Format | Tabloid |
| Founded | 1973 |
| Headquarters | New York City |
| Owner | New York University |
| Publisher | Student Publications |
Washington Square News is the independent student-run newspaper of New York University. The paper covers campus news, local reporting, arts criticism, sports coverage, and opinion content relevant to NYU communities in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai. Published both in print and online, the paper has served as a training ground for journalists who later worked at major outlets, cultural institutions, and public offices.
History
The paper traces its roots to student journalism movements connected to New York University student life in the 1960s and 1970s, contemporaneous with wider activism around the Vietnam War, Civil Rights Movement, and the rise of campus papers like The Harvard Crimson, The Daily Princetonian, and The Cornell Daily Sun. Through the 1970s and 1980s it documented events linked to South African apartheid protests, Iran hostage crisis reactions on campuses, and municipal debates involving Mayor of New York City administrations such as those of John Lindsay and Ed Koch. In the 1990s and 2000s the paper covered topics intersecting with landmark episodes including the aftermath of September 11 attacks, the Iraq War, and municipal responses during the Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg mayoralties. Technological change tracked parallels with outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post, and digital-native publications such as HuffPost and BuzzFeed. International reporting expanded as NYU opened campuses in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai, connecting to diplomatic and academic developments involving United Arab Emirates and People's Republic of China educational policies.
Organization and Operations
The newsroom has operated under a student-run model similar to structures at Columbia University and University of Pennsylvania, with editors elected or appointed from the student body and funded through student activity fees, advertising, and alumni support. Operational roles include executive editors, managing editors, section editors, copy chiefs, photo editors, and multimedia staff who coordinate coverage across print cycles and web platforms, informed by standards from professional organizations such as the Society of Professional Journalists and practices observed at outlets like Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse. The paper has collaborated with campus institutions including the Tisch School of the Arts, Gallatin School of Individualized Study, Stern School of Business, College of Arts and Science, and the Graduate School of Arts and Science for internships and training. Legal and editorial oversight has sometimes involved consultations with entities like the Student Press Law Center and university offices including the Office of Student Affairs and university legal counsel when disputes arose.
Editorial Content and Sections
Coverage traditionally includes campus news, investigations, arts and culture, opinion, features, sports, photography, and lifestyle reporting. Arts reviews have critiqued productions at venues such as Bobst Library events, Tisch School of the Arts performances, off-Broadway theaters like The Public Theater and Lucille Lortel Theatre, and exhibitions at institutions including the Museum of Modern Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, and Metropolitan Museum of Art. Sports pages have chronicled athletics in the context of conferences like the NCAA Division III and intercollegiate rivalries with schools such as Columbia University, Fordham University, and Rutgers University. Opinion pages have hosted debates engaging figures and topics tied to Supreme Court of the United States decisions, municipal policy under Bill de Blasio, climate actions involving the United Nations Climate Change Conference, and national elections featuring candidates from the Democratic Party and Republican Party. Multimedia initiatives mirrored trends at The Guardian and Vox, with podcasting, video reporting, and social media strategies referencing platforms including Twitter (now X) and Instagram.
Notable Alumni and Contributors
Alumni have gone on to careers at major outlets and institutions such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Bloomberg News, CNN, NBC News, ABC News, CBS News, Vogue, The Atlantic, Rolling Stone, New York Magazine, The New Yorker, Esquire, Time, Fortune, Forbes, ProPublica, Politico, Slate, BuzzFeed News, HuffPost, Vice Media, and public roles within offices like the United States Department of State and City Council of New York City. Individual alumni include reporters, editors, photographers, and critics who have contributed to award-winning coverage at outlets such as Pulitzer Prize winners and recipients of the George Polk Awards, Peabody Awards, and Emmy Awards. Contributors have later held academic posts at institutions like Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, Columbia University, New York University Tisch School of the Arts, Princeton University, and Harvard University.
Awards and Recognition
The paper and its staff have received recognition from collegiate journalism organizations including the Associated Collegiate Press, College Media Association, and regional press clubs such as the New York Press Club. Individual reporting and photography have been cited in competitions judged alongside work from professional outlets like The New York Times and AP Photo; student journalists have earned internships and fellowships with programs from entities such as the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, Knight Foundation, and Aspen Institute.
Controversies and Criticism
Over its history the publication has faced campus debates over editorial decisions, coverage of high-profile figures associated with NYU such as visiting scholars and administrators, and disputes reflecting tensions comparable to controversies at outlets like The Daily Californian and The Dartmouth. Content decisions have sometimes prompted responses from student groups, academic departments, and municipal actors including elected representatives from the New York City Council and officials from the New York State Assembly, leading to broader discussions about press freedom, journalistic ethics, and university policies. Episodes involving coverage of protests, sexual misconduct allegations, and administrative governance elicited criticism from constituencies including alumni, faculty at schools like Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, and campus organizations such as undergraduate student governments.
Category:Student newspapers in New York City