UCL Pi Media

Last updated

Pi Media
Pi Magazine, Shift, front cover, issue 724, Pietro Sambuy.jpg
Pi Magazine Autumn 2019, Photography: Pietro Sambuy
FormatOnline, Magazine, Broadcast
Founder(s)Richard Lubbock
PresidentConor Walsh
EditorPi Online: Aiden Dennehy, Tricia Teo

Pi Magazine: Antara Basu, Coco Kemp-Welch

PiTV: Alexia Mihalia
FoundedSeptember 1946 (1946-09) (as a newspaper)
CountryUnited Kingdom
Website www.uclpimedia.com

UCL Pi Media is the oldest and largest student journalism society at University College London Union. Initially launched as a newspaper in 1946 [1] and named after former Provost David Pye, it now publishes on three platforms: Pi Online, Pi Magazine and PiTV.

Contents

Pi Media's contribution to student journalism has been recognised both within UCL and by other media outlets. Pi Magazine was shortlisted for 'Magazine of the Year' at The Guardian Student Media Awards in 2009 [2] and was named Best Publication at the Students' Union UCL Arts Awards in 2012, 2013, 2016 and 2020. [3]

History

Pi Media was originally launched as a newspaper in 1946, named Pi in honour of the University's Provost, Sir David Pye. In the aftermath of World War II, there was strong popular support amongst UCL students and Union officials for a community project that would bind together the rapidly expanding campus. The newspaper was conceived as a fortnightly news-sheet, written and published internally by UCL students.

The founding editor was Richard Lubbock, a first-year medic, who modelled the four-page broadsheet after the style of an American high school newspaper. The purpose was to provide news and entertainment for students, and journalistic experience for the editorial team.

Front cover of Pi newspaper published 21/1/1954 Pi Newspaper Cover, 21-1-1954.jpg
Front cover of Pi newspaper published 21/1/1954

The paper was popular, charging a small fee for each issue. Though the initial focus was on student politics, as the paper recruited a more diverse base of writers and journalists, new areas began to receive attention. The newspaper's popularity among students was driven by its coverage of sports, academic discourse and regular interviews with London's public figures. Pi drew favourable comparisons with other heavyweight student newspapers, such as the London School of Economics Beaver .

Pi Squared was launched alongside the magazine in October 2006 as a sister publication in newspaper form. In December 2012, following concerns that internal competition between the magazine and the newspaper was mutually harmful, the decision was made by the editorial board to discontinue Pi Squared. [4]

In May 2007, the society constitutionally renamed as Pi Media to take into account its expansion into other media formats.

Former contributors

Today

Pi Media's content is spread across three different platforms: Pi Online, Pi Magazine and PiTV.

Pi Online is the society's fastest-growing platform which regularly publishes submissions from student writers across six sections: News, Opinion, Features, Science, Lifestyle and Culture. Topics include campus news, student politics, investigations, environmental features, student life advice and coverage of London's cultural activities. Three editors are appointed per section to support the Editors-In-Chief.

Pi Magazine is published biannually and each issue is curated around a specific theme. In recent years, the themes have included "Balance", "Empowerment" and UCL itself. The magazine contains the same sections as Pi Online, with two articles per section. The magazine is distributed for free around the UCL campus, including UCL Union bars, departmental common rooms and libraries. Although Pi Magazine is primarily available in print form, online copies of the latest issues are available through the society's website. [5] Pi Magazine commissions art and photography from creatives within the UCL student body.

PiTV is the broadcasting arm of Pi Media. It produces a range of video projects, [6] from short documentaries, travel diaries and the Backstage Pass series, to student news coverage, political interviews and UCL Students’ Union investigations.

In recent years, Pi Media has conducted interviews with well-known figures such as Desmond Tutu, Elijah Wood, [7] Nigel Farage, [8] Dominic Raab MP, [9] Rory Stewart, [10] and David Runciman. [11]

Committee structure

Unlike many other student publications, Pi Media does not have a paid full-time sabbatical editor. Students are elected to the Committee at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in March. Any positions that become vacant throughout the year are filled at an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM).

  • President
  • Vice President/Treasurer
  • Pi Online Editors-In-Chief
  • Pi Magazine Editors-In-Chief
  • PiTV Editors-In-Chief
  • Marketing Officer
  • Social Media Officer
  • Design Officer
  • Photographer Officer
  • Events Officers
  • Welfare Officer
  • Diversity & Inclusion Officer

Related Research Articles

University College London, which operates as UCL, is a public research university in London, England. It is a member institution of the federal University of London, and is the second-largest university in the United Kingdom by total enrolment and the largest by postgraduate enrolment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Students' Union UCL</span>

Students' Union UCL is the students' union of University College London. Founded in 1893, it is one of the oldest students' unions in England, although postdating the Liverpool Guild of Students which formed a student representative council in 1892. It was formed with the following objectives: "the promotion of social intercourse and of the means of recreation, physical and mental, of the students of University College, and the financial successes of students' clubs". UCL Union was the first of its kind as it was formed for both athletics clubs and social activities alike.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Rusbridger</span> Newspaper journalist and editor

Alan Charles Rusbridger is a British journalist, who was formerly editor-in-chief of The Guardian and then principal of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford.

The Beaver is the fortnightly newspaper of the LSE Students' Union at the London School of Economics, England.

<i>Nouse</i> University of Yorks student newspaper and website

Nouse is a student newspaper and website at the University of York. It is the oldest registered society of, and funded by, the University of York Students' Union. Nouse was founded in 1964 by student Nigel Fountain, some twenty years before its rival York Vision. The newspaper is printed three times in each of the Autumn and Spring terms, and twice in the Summer term, with frequent website updates in between print runs. As of June 2022, Nouse has printed 500 editions.

Dominic Ralph Campden Lawson is a British journalist.

<i>The Medical Student</i>

The Medical Student (TMS) is a monthly print newspaper published entirely by full-time medical students from the five medical schools in London (King's College London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Imperial College School of Medicine, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, UCL Medical School, St George's, University of London). TMS is affiliated to London Medgroup, a collective body of Students' Union presidents and British Medical Association representatives from each of the five member medical schools.

London Student is a student paper, originally the official student newspaper of the University of London Union. It began publishing in 1979 and was at one point the largest student-run newspaper in Europe. At that time it was published weekly in term-time and printed in Gloucestershire, before being distributed to around 50 London sites including non-university further and higher education establishments, such as Polytechnics, overnight. It was financed by a combination of university grant and advertising. The editor was elected annually by other student journalists who had worked on the paper as a sabbatical from studies, and there was one staff member, a business manager and advertising sales person. The paper stopped publishing in 2014 after the University of London withdrew funding, but relaunched itself online the following year under a new editorial team. It is now an independent publication with ultimate control over content and appointments vested in the editorial team as a worker co-operative.

<i>Spiked</i> (magazine) British Internet-based magazine

Spiked is a British Internet magazine focusing on politics, culture and society. The magazine was founded in 2001 with the same editor and many of the same contributors as Living Marxism, which had closed in 2000 after losing a case for libel brought by ITN.

Bathimpact is the student newspaper for the University of Bath Students' Union, England.

Press Gazette, formerly known as UK Press Gazette (UKPG), is a British trade magazine dedicated to journalism and the press. First published in 1965, it had a circulation of about 2,500 before becoming online-only in 2013. Published with the strapline "Future of Media", it covers news about newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, and the online press, dealing with launches, closures, moves, legislation and technological advances affecting journalists.

<i>Palatinate</i> (newspaper) Durham University student newspaper

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loughborough Students' Union</span>

Loughborough Students' Union is the students' union serving members from Loughborough University, Loughborough College and the RNIB College Loughborough.

<i>Wessex Scene</i>

Wessex Scene is a student news magazine and website serving the students of the University of Southampton. Having been in print continuously since 1936, it is one of the oldest student publications in the United Kingdom.

<i>The Courier</i> (Newcastle University newspaper)

The Courier is the free student weekly newspaper of Newcastle University's Students' Union. It is entirely written and edited by student volunteers, except for the chief editor, which is a paid sabbatical officer position in the students union. Articles which are included in the 40-page print edition are also published online. The newspaper is divided into sections, including news, comment, sport, puzzles, lifestyle, music, film, TV, beauty, fashion, travel, arts, gaming and science.

<i>The Cheese Grater</i> British student magazine

The Cheese Grater is a student satirical and investigative magazine produced at University College London by a society of UCL Union, a students' union. It was first published in March 2004, and was named London's best student publication in the 2022 Student Publication Association awards.

<i>Roar News</i>

Roar News is the student newspaper of King's College London. It is editorially independent of both the university and the students' union.

Concrete is the University of East Anglia's student newspaper. Concrete is free and published fortnightly on a Tuesday, during term time.

<i>SCAN</i> (newspaper)

SCAN: Student Comment and News is a multi-award-winning student newspaper at Lancaster University. It publishes during term time in print, and throughout the year online. SCAN was founded in 1967, making it one of the longest-running student publications in Europe, and is now managed by the Lancaster University Students' Union (LUSU).

<i>Brexit: The Uncivil War</i> 2019 British television political drama film

Brexit: The Uncivil War is a 2019 British television drama film written by James Graham and directed by Toby Haynes. It depicts the lead-up to the 2016 referendum through the activities of the strategists behind the Vote Leave campaign, that prompted the United Kingdom to exit the European Union, known as Brexit. Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Dominic Cummings, the Campaign Director of the officially designated Brexit-supporting group, Vote Leave. Rory Kinnear stars as Craig Oliver, one of the leaders of the officially designated Remain-supporting group, Britain Stronger in Europe.

References

  1. ↑ About. Pi Media. (https://uclpimedia.com/about) (Accessed: 28/06/2020)
  2. ↑ "Guardian Student Media Awards: shortlist announced". The Guardian. 28 September 2009. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  3. ↑ Clubs & Societies: Pi Media. Students' Union UCL. (http://studentsunionucl.org/clubs-societies/pi-media#:~:text=Founded%20in%201946%2C%20Pi%20Media,Online%2C%20Pi%20Magazine%20and%20PiTV) (Accessed: 28/06/2020)
  4. ↑ RIP Pi Newspaper (2007-2012). The Cheese Grater, 17 November 2012. (https://cheesegratermagazine.org/2012/11/17/rip-pi-newspaper-2007-2012/) (Accessed: 28/06/2020)
  5. ↑ Pi Magazine. Pi Media. (https://uclpimedia.com/magazine)(Accessed: 28/06/2020)
  6. ↑ PiTV. (https://www.youtube.com/user/UCLUPiTV/featured) (Accessed: 26/08/2020)
  7. ↑ Gitonga, Karimi. Web Exclusive: Interview with Elijah Wood. PiMagazine.net, 21 November 2005. (http://www.pimagazine.net/) (Accessed: 28/06/2020)
  8. ↑ Gidda, Miren. Full interview with Nigel Farage, MEP and leader of Ukip. PiTV, 11 October 2013. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-OJIdpQ2po) (Accessed: 28/06/2020)
  9. ↑ Coe, Blake. An interview with Dominic Raab MP. Pi Online, 4 March 2019. (https://uclpimedia.com/online/the-only-reason-that-the-eu-would-put-up-trade-barriers-is-through-political-choice-an-interview-with-dominic-raab-mp) (Accessed: 28/06/2020)
  10. ↑ Koch, Nikolas. Rory talks (and walks). Pi Online, 20 January 2020. (https://uclpimedia.com/online/rory-talks-and-walks) (Accessed: 06/08/20)
  11. ↑ Colwell, Angus. David Runciman on Trump, young people, and the future of democracy. Pi Online, 2 March 2020 (https://uclpimedia.com/online/i-genuinely-think-2020-is-scary-david-runciman-on-trump-young-people-and-the-future-of-democracy) (Accessed: 28/06/2020)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.