State Press

Infobox_Newspaper
name = The State Press


type = Student newspaper
format = Compact
foundation = 1906
owners = Arizona State University Student Media
headquarters = Matthews Center, Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ 85281
United States
editor = Brian Indrelunas
ISSN =
circulation = 15,000 Daily
website = [http://asuwebdevil.com asuwebdevil.com]

The State Press is the independent, student-operated newspaper of Arizona State University. It publishes a free newspaper every weekday, along with a magazine every Wednesday.

History

The history of the State Press goes back to ASU's establishment as a "Normal School" during Arizona's territorial periods. The university's first student newspaper, "The Normal Echo", made its debut on October 18, 1890. Back then, it was a one-page supplement to the local newspaper now called the "East Valley Tribune".

The existence of the State Press as an independent entity began in 1906, when it became the "Tempe Normal Student", a four-page tabloid distributed on campus each Friday for five cents per copy. The paper changed its name to "Tempe Collegian" in 1925 when the school's name changed to Tempe College in the same year. The name was eventually shortened to "the Collegian" in 1930 and fell under the control of the newly created Faculty of Journalism two years later.

In the 1970s, The State Press regained its independence from what is now the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Initially, the president of ASU at the time, John Schwada, placed the paper under the authority of a Board of Student Media. The first board resigned within a month because of a disagreement with the Arizona Board of Regents regarding its role in the newspaper's affairs. The department is now under the Office of Vice President for University Student Initiatives and maintains a significant amount of independence from the school; although ASU provides equipment and offices on campus, the State Press pays production costs and salaries through advertising revenue. Decisions on editorial content are left to the paper's editorial board, although an ASU staff adviser has limited input.

In the 1980s, the paper added a Monday edition and began to operate as a five-days-a-week daily publication.

The paper's most famous ex-employee is current Monday Night Football sportscaster and ASU alumnus Al Michaels, who was the paper's sports editor and is rumored to have been fired for reasons unknown.

Layout

The paper publishes newspapers every school day (Monday through Friday) and features student articles, world and national wire reports, and editorials and opinions.

A separate staff produces "State Press Magazine", which had been printed on the backside of the daily newspaper until August 2007, when it became a separate publication. "SPM" is published every Wednesday, examining university issues such as current events, arts and entertainment.

The paper's staff uses Macintosh computers. Stories are written in Microsoft Word, and pages are laid out in Adobe InDesign.

The online edition of the newspaper, "ASU Web Devil" [http://www.asuwebdevil.com] , serves as a portal to all Student Media Web sites. In addition, a spoof edition of the paper, "The Stale Mess", is published at the end of each semester.

Clashes with administration

In 2003, a memorable "State Press" spoof cover featured a simulated photo of ASU president Michael Crow passed out in a bathtub, with vomit on his shirt and a bottle of cheap vodka cradled on his arm. Crow later complained about the photo to the State Press editorial board.

In spring 2004, an article about alleged mistreatment of employees at ASU's Department of Residential Life was criticized as one-sided by the department.

State Press Magazine created a stir in fall 2004 by publishing a full-page cover photo of a woman's naked, pierced breast on its cover; the publication drew criticism from prominent conservatives and ASU boosters such as Ira Fulton, who felt the university's administration needed to have more oversight regarding editorial decisions.

The incident may have led to the actions alleged in a November 2004 Phoenix New Times article, "Quid Pro Crow: ASU's president puts the squeeze on freedom of speech to please his biggest donor" (http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/issues/2004-11-18/news/feature.html). The article drew national attention and was featured on several media news Web sites. The paper also won an award for the way it handled pressure from the administration concerning content.

Organization

The State Press operates under a departmental umbrella of ASU Student Media, which also features a TV station (Sun Devil Television) and a web site (The Web Devil). Student Media organizations operate from the basement of Matthews Center at ASU's Tempe campus and a newsroom in the Cronkite Building at ASU's Downtown Phoenix campus that was opened in fall 2008. A student radio station (KASC) runs independently of Student Media through the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications, but is affiliated with ASU Student Media by name.

External links

*ASU Web Devil http://www.asuwebdevil.com/

*ASU Student Media http://www.asu.edu/studentmedia/