Columbia Daily Spectator

Last updated
Columbia Daily Spectator
Logo Columbia Daily Spectator.svg
Type Student newspaper
Format Broadsheet
School Barnard College
Columbia University
Owner(s) Spectator Publishing Company, Inc.
Founder(s) Frederick William Holls
H.G. Paine
PublisherTyler Shern
Editor-in-chiefIrie Sentner
Managing editorAndrew Park
Founded1877;146 years ago (1877)
Headquarters New York City
Circulation 8,000 [1]
Website columbiaspectator.com
Free online archives library.columbia.edu

The Columbia Daily Spectator (known colloquially as Spec) is the student newspaper of Columbia University. Founded in 1877, it is the oldest continuously operating college news daily in the nation after The Harvard Crimson , and has been legally independent from the university since 1962. It is published at 120th Street and Claremont Avenue in New York City. During the academic term, it is published online Sunday through Thursday and printed twice monthly. In addition to serving as a campus newspaper, the Spectator also reports the latest news of the surrounding Morningside Heights community. The paper is delivered to over 150 locations throughout the Morningside Heights neighborhood.

Contents

History

First issue of the Columbia Spectator, published on July 1, 1877 Columbia Daily Spectator 1.pdf
First issue of the Columbia Spectator, published on July 1, 1877

The Columbia Spectator was founded in 1877 by Frederick William Holls and H.G. Paine. [2] :179 Also serving on the paper's first editorial board was William Barclay Parsons. Several attempts at student journalism were made before the Spectator. The first student publication formed at Columbia was the short lived Philolexian Observer , founded in 1813. [2] :176 The Cap and Gown was founded in 1867 as both a student newspaper and literary publication. It was renamed to the Acta Columbiana in 1873, and was absorbed by the Spectator in 1885, which also took its motto, A Studentibus Studentibusque. [2] :178

The Spectator was first published as a fortnightly. In 1898 it became a weekly, and a year later began to be published semi-weekly, before finally becoming a daily paper in 1902. [2] :179–180

In April 2014, Spectator announced it would become the first Ivy League newspaper to cut its daily print for a weekly distribution to focus on digital content and increase revenue. [3] The plan was approved shortly thereafter by the Board of Trustees, passing 7 to 4. John R. MacArthur, one of the members of the board, resigned in protest of the decision, but the paper did see the expected revenue increase. [4]

Organization

Spectator is published by Spectator Publishing Company Inc, an independent 501(c)(3) corporation. [5] Spectator Publishing Company was formed in 1962 and has been independent of Columbia University since then. [6] The president of the Spectator Publishing Company also serves as the editor in chief of the Columbia Daily Spectator.

Spectator's writing departments, each headed by one or two editors, include university news, city news, sports, arts and culture, opinion, and lifestyle. The other non-writing departments, also headed by their own respective editors, include photography, illustrations, graphics, audio, video, and copy. The Business & Innovations departments, which oversee the newspaper's advertising, finances, software development, and alumni relations, are headed by the publisher. Spectator also runs The Eye which is a magazine focused on publishing long-form feature articles and essays.

The paper is currently run by the 147th managing board. First-time writers at Columbia begin their time at the paper with a 3 to 4 month trainee semester, during which they learn the basics of writing an article and publish their first articles. Each November and December, students run for positions at the paper, a process that takes nearly a month. They begin by shadowing, or sitting with the current editors or associate editors and learning the editing process. Next they write proposals for their desired position. The students then take editing tests created by their department editor that test them on fundamentals. Finally, they complete the Turkeyshoots process with an interview. The results of the process, including the new managing board, are announced in mid-December, the weekend before finals.

Recent spinoffs

In 2005, Spec started printing La Página, a weekly flyer in Spanish with translations of some of the week's English content most relevant to neighborhood readers. It folded within the year.

The next year, in February 2006, the paper launched a series of blogs, SpecBlogs. It was the third Ivy League paper to do this, after The Harvard Crimson 's Sports Blog (December 2005) and The Daily Pennsylvanian 's TheBuzz (January 2006). [7]

In September 2006, Spectator staff launched The Eye, a weekly magazine featuring investigative pieces and commentary on Columbia and New York City. The name of The Eye relates both to the fact that one "spectates" with it and urban theorist Jane Jacobs' notion that "eyes on the street" help keep neighborhoods safe.

In March 2010, Spec launched a new blog, Spectrum, which is updated several times a day with breaking news, columns, and features.

In January 2018, Spec launched a branded content studio, Spectator Brand Studios. It was the second Ivy League paper to do this, after the Harvard Crimson.

Controversies

Spectator has been criticized publicly by staff members over the years for obscuring its election procedures. On October 16, 2009, Ryan Bubinski, then the online editor of Spec, shut down the website in protest of a constitutional violation. [8] The website was restored on the 18th, and Bubinski left the staff of the newspaper. [9] The lack of a constitution brought renewed protests in 2018 when concerns over potential prior misconduct of a staffer surfaced during the Turkeyshoots process. The Corporate Board of Spectator followed an internal policy to investigate the claims, which was not made public to staffers. Following the Turkeyshoots season, the majority of the newspaper's Sports section resigned in protest. [10]

In 2018 and 2019, work by journalists at the paper played an important role in uncovering the plagiarism scandal around Charles K. Armstrong, a professor of history at Columbia University. [11] It also, in 2019, found that a number of professors accused or found guilty of sexual misconduct remained on campus, breaking news that English professor Michael Golston had been found guilty of sexually assaulting a student. [12]

Recent leadership

YearBoardEditor in ChiefPublisherManaging Editor
2023147thIrie SentnerTyler ShernAndrew Park
2022146thClara Ence MorseVilanna WangDia Gill
2021145thSarah BrakaTamarah WallaceElizabeth Karpen
2020144thKaren XiaIsabel JaureguiShubham Saharan
2019143rdKatherine GerberichNima MozhganiRahil Kamath
2018142ndJessica SpitzMichael TaiAaron Holmes
2017141stCatie EdmondsonAnurak SaelaowJ. Clara Chan
2016140thCaroline ChiuRachit MohanBen Libman
2015139thMichael OuimetteDaniel FriedmanSamantha Cooney
2014138thAbby AbramsMichael OuimetteSteven Lau
2013137thSammy RothAlex SmykFinn Vigeland
2012136thSarah DarvilleAlex SmykMaggie Alden
2011135thSamuel RothAditya MukerjeeMichele Cleary
2010134thBen CottonAkhil MehtaThomas Rhiel
2009133rdMelissa RepkoJulia FeldbergDaria Knight-Winslow
2008132ndTom FaureManal AlamAmanda Sebba
2007131stJohn DavissonJohn MascariAmanda Erickson
2006130thSteve MoncadaJacob Olson & John MascariTim Shenk, succ. by Nick Klagge
2005129th Megan Greenwell Chase BehringerTheo Orsher & Liz Fink
2004128thNick SummersLauren Appelbaum, succ. by Tanner ZuckerJames Romoser
2003127thTelis DemosAmit MelwaniJuliana Castedo
2002126thAlice BooneRob BruceIsolde Raftery
2001125thMichael MirerJeff Posnick Nick Schifrin
2000124thDan LaidmanJonathan GordinMiriam Haskell
1999123rdNathan HaleMatthew GreerDemetra Kasimis
1998122nd Eli Sanders David S. KarpLeila Nesson
1997121stKim Van DuzerJulie YufeSandra P. Angulo
1996120thHans ChenGraham GoodkinLauren Goodman
1995119thPeter G. Freeman Fredrik Stanton Henry Tam, Jr.
1994118th Ruth Halikman Chris ConwayMichael Stanton
1993117thElizabeth BerkeKatherine HuibonhoaLeyla Kokmen
1992116thKristina NyeRam RaoJessica Shaw
1991115thKirsten DanisAndrew RothschildCatherine Thorpe
1990114thJulie ZuckermanAnna CompagliaRobert Hardt, Jr.
1989113thJosh GilletteErika HenikJonathan Earle
1988112thTracy ConnorRoger RubinAsha Badranith
1987111thSara JustAlison CraiglowJohn Oswald
1986110thJacqueline Shea MurphyToshihiko Saito Elizabeth Schwartz
1985109thAnne KornhauserThomas FitzsimmonsWilliam Teichner
1984108thAaron J. FreiwaldThomas FitzsimmonsRobert Zeiger
1983107th Steven Waldman Peter BaltayKate Schaefer
1982106th John Zimmerman [13] Robert HughesTodd Bressi
1981105thStuart Karle Beverly Weintraub ("Business Manager")Pete Brown
1980104thJon ElsenBonnie Spiro ("Business Manager")Chris Wellisz
1979103rdJim SchachterCarol Futernick ("Business Manager")David Rosenberg
1978102ndJoe FerulloSheldon Nussbaum ("Business Manager")Mitch Rollnick
1977101stRichard HartDavid Margules ("Publisher"), Susan Wagner ("Business Manager")(none)
1976100th Gregg Bloche, succ. by Jonathan SteinbergJon Lukomnik ("Publisher"), Michelle Seltzer ("Business Manager")Jonathan Steinberg, succ. by David Margules
197599thDavid RaabBrian Dowd ("Business Manager")Ted Green
197498thEric RiederJay Lisnow ("Business Manager")David Smith
197397thGail RobinsonDan Dolgin ("Business Manager") Richard Briffault
197296th John Brecher L. Stanton Towne, succ. by Geoffrey Colvin ("Business Manager")Maureen McGuirl
197195thJon GronerJonathan Kandel ("Business Manager")Lillian Ehrlich
197094thMartin FlumenbaumMitchell Gerber, succ. by Robert J. Hunt ("Business Manager") Juris Kaža
196993rd Paul Starr Lawrence D. Levin ("Business Manager")Robert Hardman
196892ndRobert Friedman Nicholas Garaufis ("Business Manager")Charles L. Skoro
196791stChristopher FriedrichsLeon Wyszewianski ("Business Manager")David Heim
196690thAlan S. LakeStuart A. Schlang ("Business Manager") Mark Minton
196589th Michael Drosnin Jay S. Goldsamt ("Business Manager")Daniel Epstein
196488thDonald H. ShapiroL. Michael Krieger ("Business Manager")Stanford N. Sesser
196387thGary A. SchonwaldBurt H. Liebman ("Business Manager")Norman A. Olch
196286thDov M. GrunschlagJon M. Eckel ("Business Manager")Doron Gopstein
196185thAllen YoungPaul A. Gitman ("Business Manager")Eric Levine
196084thMartin B. MarguliesAndrew S. Levine ("Business Manager")John D. Hack succ. by Arnold Abrams
195983rdWilliam Robert BishinCarl A. Steinbaum ("Business Manager")Nathan Gross
195882ndRobert M. BurdBarry C. Cooper ("Business Manager")Allan D. Gochman
195781st Bernard Nussbaum Kenneth J. Stern ("Business Manager")Howard J. Orlin
195680thH. Douglas EldridgeGeorge Leibowitz ("Business Manager")Bruce R. Buckley
195579thJonas SchultzGrover H. Wald ("Business Manager")Robert R. Siroty
195478thLee TownsendSheldon M. Wolf ("Business Manager") Gerald M. Pomper
195377thCharles E. SelinskeLester Friedman ("Business Manager")Judah L. Berger
195276th Jerry G. Landauer H. Wallace Kava ("Business Manager")Donald L. Hymes & Rolon W. Reed
195175th Max Frankel Frank Walwer ("Business Manager") Lawrence K. Grossman & Charles N. Jacobs
195074th David Wise James A. Williams ("Business Manager")Peter H. Schiff
194973rdRobert C. FrederiksenEdward Wolfe ("Business Manager")Gabriel Favoino (spring semester only; vacant in fall)
194872nd Robert Neil Butler Vincent A. Carrozza ("Business Manager")Gene R. Haves
194771stDavid L. SchraffenbergerFred De Vries ("Business Manager")(none)
194670thEdward B. Gold succ. by Alan S. KullerDavid H. Horowitz succ. by Daniel Schimmel ("Business Manager")Gideon H. Oppenheimer succ. by George T. Vogel
194569th Arthur Lazarus succ. by Stanley SmithMichael Lichtenstein succ. by Stuart Schwartz ("Business Manager")(none) (spring semester), Fred M. Kleeberg (fall semester)
194468thJoseph Barata succ. by John CrossettNorman Levy ("Business Manager")Matthew T. Kenny succ. by Irwin Oder
194367thElliott M. Sanger, Jr. succ. by Paul J. Sherman succ. by Walter D. ScottWilliam Gross succ. by Andrew Rohman ("Business Manager")Paul J. Sherman succ. by Walter D. Scott succ. by Matthew T. Kenny

Notable Spec alumni

See also

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References

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  2. 1 2 3 4 Matthews, Brander; John Pine; Harry Peck; Munroe Smith (1904). A History of Columbia University: 1754–1904. London, England: Macmillan Company.
  3. "Columbia student paper plans to drop daily print edition for a weekly distribution". Politico Media. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  4. "Harper's Publisher Rick MacArthur Quits Columbia Spectator Board Because the Internet" . Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  5. "Spectator Publishing Company Inc overview from Guidestar.org". Guidestar.org. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  6. "Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax; 2012 IRS Form 990 of Spectator Publishing Co Inc" (PDF). Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  7. "The Buzz". The Daily Pennsylvanian. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  8. "Spectator website takedown 2009" . Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  9. "Editor's Note of 2009 Website Shutdown" . Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  10. "The Blue and White - Columbia Daily Spectator Staff Gutted by Resignations" . Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  11. "History professor Charles Armstrong found guilty of plagiarism, to retire in 2020". Columbia Daily Spectator. Retrieved 2019-09-13.
  12. "Up against the invincible: A professor was convicted of sexual misconduct. Why is he still on campus?". Columbia Daily Spectator. Retrieved 2019-11-19.
  13. "Take Five with Jonathan Zimmerman '83". Columbia College Today. 17 January 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  14. Hevesi, Dennis (2012-02-09). "Damien Bona Dies at 56; Creator of Guide for Oscar Buffs". The New York Times . Retrieved 2012-02-25.
  15. "Adam B. Kushner". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2022-02-16.