Wessex Scene

Last updated

Wessex Scene
TypeStudent online newspaper and published magazine
Format Compact
Owner(s) University of Southampton Students' Union
EditorJames Hurford [1]
Deputy editorAnton Allegranza Quicke
Founded1936
Political alignmentIndependent
HeadquartersWessex Scene, University of Southampton Students' Union, Building 42, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ
City Southampton
CountryUnited Kingdom
Circulation 100,000 unique monthly visitors (est.)
Sister newspapersThe Edge
Website wessexscene.co.uk

Wessex Scene is a student news magazine and website serving the students of the University of Southampton. [2] Having been in print continuously since 1936, it is one of the oldest student publications in the United Kingdom.[ citation needed ]

Contents

Wessex Scene now takes the forms of an online news site and a monthly printed magazine, published by the University of Southampton Students' Union and available across the campuses and Halls of Residence of the university. The website and online edition were nominated for best website at the Guardian Student Media Awards for three years in a row before winning the award in 2004. [3] Since its establishment in 2013, Wessex Scene has been nominated for dozens of Student Publication Association awards, and was highly commended for "Best Designed magazine" in 2015. The team at the magazine have also won a number of individual nationally recognised awards. In 2014, a piece by Bridie Pearson-Jones, then politics editor, was selected as one of The Huffington Post "Student Journalist Stories of the Year", [4] and in 2015 Toby Leveson was awarded "New Deal Student Journalist of the Year" by The Independent and National Union of Students for his coverage of the 2015 United Kingdom general election. In 2018, Wessex Scene won jointly with the Edge "Best Collaboration" at SPARC (Student Publication Association Regional Conference) for a collaborative magazine focussing on the topic of mental health.[ citation needed ] In 2021, Wessex Scene were named the "Best Publication in the South East" at the Student Publication Association Regional Conference.

History

The Wessex Scene initially began as Wessex News on 25 February 1936, and was published by students Union of the, then, University College. [5] The Union had at this time just been granted a section of the main University building following new construction work and as a result had begun to expand in operations. [6] From this foundation the paper was printed regularly in newspaper format with relatively few changes. The name changed to the current Wessex Scene in 1996 to reflect on the other content that was being fed into the paper and the publication launched online in the 2001 academic year.[ citation needed ]

The publication's ownership by the Students' Union has resulted in conflict at times between the student writers and editors of the publication, and the officers at the Union who are also Editors-in-chief but who have a minimal role. This has led to claims of censorship and that the Union blocked stories that they believed did not fit with the values of the Union. [7] [8] [9] Subsequently, a Code of Conduct was written for the writers of the publication to adhere to. [10]

In 2013 the Wessex Scene and The Edge became founding members of the Student Publication Association. The association was founded as a result of the efforts of David Gilani, the Vice-President Communications at the Students' Union and Editor-in-chief of both publications at the time. [11] SUSU and the two publications hosted the first conference in April 2013 and also hosted the 2015 conference. [12]

Notable ex-writers

Editorial Team

The Scene is run by an editorial team headed by the Editor-in-Chief, currently James Hurford for 2023-2024 academic year, who is elected by the members and whose term covers the mention academic. [13] Part of the Creative Industries Zone of the Students' Union, the work of the publication is overseen by the Vice-President Activities Industries, the Sabbatical officer in charge of the zone who acts as Editor-in-chief, currently Corin Holloway. [14] The editor is supported by a Deputy Editor, currently Anton Allegranza Quicke for 2023-2024 academic year, and a team of editors each overseeing all of the sections of the publication of News & Investigations, Features, Creative Writing, Politics, Opinion, Pause (Satire), Lifestyle, Science and Technology, Travel, International, and Sport. [15] There are further positions as the Heads of Design, Marketing, Events and Imagery. [15]

The Edge

The Edge
The Edge Logo Black.png
EditorRosie Spurrier [16]
DeputyKye Preston
FrequencyMonthly
Publisher University of Southampton Students' Union
Founded1995 / 2011
CountryUnited Kingdom
Based in University of Southampton
Website theedgesusu.co.uk

The Edge is the University of Southampton's entertainment publication. Originally created in 1995 as a supplement of the Wessex Scene, The Edge has been published independently since Autumn 2011, and is its own distinct department of the Students' Union. [17] [ better source needed ] Online content is published regularly each day, and eight print issues are published per year. [17]

The Edge focuses on entertainment news and reviews; it covers union, local and national theatre/live music, and release of records, film and television. [17] In 2014, The Edge won the award for Best Design at the annual Student Publication Awards, [18] and in 2015 Records Editor Hannah Mylrea won highly commended in the Best Entertainment Piece category. [19]

Editorial Team

The Editorial Team of The Edge includes an overall Editor (as of 2024/25, Rosie Spurrier), a Deputy Editor, Section Editors, and Department Heads, including Design and Publicity. [20]

As defined by the society Constitution, the position of Editor is a 'Student Leader' position, and is decided in cross-campus elections by the Students' Union in early Spring, in the main elections period for the Union. [21] The remainder of the committee is decided at the publication's AGM each year, in around late April. There are currently Editors for News, Records, Live, Film, and Culture, and positions for Fundraising, Events and Publicity officers, Design, two PR officers and an Online Manager. [20] Executive positions are decided on a year-by-year basis. [17] The work of the publication forms part of the Union's Creative Industries Zone, and is overseen by the Vice-President Activities who, for 2023/24, is Amy Moir. [22]

Editors

NameYear
Joe Hawkes [23] 2011-12
David Martin2012-13
Megan Downing2013-14
Rebecca James2014-15
Natalie Fordham2015-16
Anneka Honeyball2016-17
James Barker2017-18
Thea Hartman2018-19
Jack Nash2019-20
Morgan McMillan2020-21
Sam Pegg2021-22
Amy Scott-Munden2022-23
Callum Joynes2023-24
Rosie Spurrier2024-25

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>NME</i> British music, film, gaming, and culture website

New Musical Express (NME) is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "rock inkie", the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a free publication, before becoming an online brand which includes its website and radio stations.

<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.

<i>The Boar</i> (newspaper) University of Warwick student newspaper

The Boar is the student newspaper of the University of Warwick. Founded in 1973, the paper is published thrice a term, and the website is continually updated. Whilst it is affiliated to the university's Students' Union, the paper is editorially independent. It consists of 16 sections, including News, Sports, and Podcasts.

<i>Cherwell</i> (newspaper) Oxford University student newspaper

Cherwell is a weekly student newspaper published entirely by students of Oxford University. Founded in 1920 and named after a local river, Cherwell is a subsidiary of independent student publishing house Oxford Student Publications Ltd. Receiving no university funding, the newspaper is one of the oldest student publications in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surge Radio</span> Student radio station of the University of Southampton

Surge Radio is an English student radio station based at the University of Southampton. Founded in 1976 as Radio Heffalump, the station was renamed Radio Glen the following year and originally broadcast from the university's Glen Eyre Halls complex.

<i>Exeposé</i> Official student-run newspaper of the University of Exeter

Exeposé is the official student-run newspaper of the University of Exeter. It has a fortnightly print circulation of 1,000. Exeposé is free and published every fortnight during term time. Its sections include news, features, lifestyle, science, satire, sport, screen, music, arts and lit, tech, comment and international.

<i>Daily Trojan</i> Student newspaper of the University of Southern California

The Daily Trojan, or "DT," is the student newspaper of the University of Southern California. The newspaper is a forum for student expression and is written, edited, and managed by university students. The paper is intended to inform USC students, faculty, and staff on the latest news and provide opinion and entertainment.

<i>Farrago</i> (magazine) Student publication for the University of Melbourne in Melbourne, Australia

Farrago is the student publication for the University of Melbourne in Melbourne, Australia published by the University of Melbourne Student Union. It is the oldest student publication in Australia. It was first published on 3 April 1925.

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>Redbrick</i> (newspaper)

Redbrick is the student newspaper of the University of Birmingham. Originally titled Guild News, the newspaper was renamed Redbrick in 1962. As with most student newspapers, Redbrick is not fully independent due to funding arrangements, but is editorially independent as is set out in its charter.

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

Palatinate is the student newspaper of Durham University. One of Britain's oldest student publications, Palatinate is frequently ranked as one of the leading student outlets in the UK and Ireland, winning Best Publication in the Student Publication Association's 2018 and 2021 national awards. The name of the newspaper derives from the colour palatinate, a shade of purple closely associated with the university and derived from County Durham's political history as a County Palatine. It published its first edition on 17 March 1948.

The Stag is a student magazine published by students of the University of Surrey online and in print.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Southampton Students' Union</span>

The University of Southampton Students' Union, branded and commonly known as SUSU a contraction of Southampton University Students' Union, is the students' union at the University of Southampton in southern England, United Kingdom. SUSU operates a number of facilities for students at the university, represents the students to the university and at the university council as well as providing support services and social activities. The union is financed through its operations, a grant from the university and additional benefits brought by its charitable status.

The Journal was an independent, fortnightly, local newspaper originally produced by students at seven major higher and further education institutes in Edinburgh. It was distributed at a number of locations across the city's universities and colleges, as well as at bars and cafés throughout the Scottish capital.

<i>The University Times</i> Irish student newspaper

The University Times is a student newspaper. Published from Trinity College Dublin, it is financially supported by Trinity College Dublin Students' Union but maintains a mutually agreed policy of editorial independence.

<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 monthly on a Tuesday, during term time. Concrete is compiled by a team of around forty editorial team members and headed by the Co-Editors-in-Chief. It is distributed throughout campus monthly as a free pickup newspaper and online via their website. Concrete is part of the UEA Media Collective, which also includes the student radio station Livewire and UEA:TV.

<i>Strathclyde Telegraph</i> Student newspaper of the University of Strathclyde

The Strathclyde Telegraph is a student newspaper which was founded in 1960 and is edited, written and produced by students at the University of Strathclyde. It is the University of Strathclyde’s only printed student newspaper and is produced on campus.

<i>BULL</i> (student magazine)

BULL was the student magazine of the University of Sydney in Sydney, Australia, and was published by the University of Sydney Union. Established as The Bulletin, then The Bull, BULL was the union's only high-gloss magazine and was published monthly by an editorially independent student team.

<i>The Mancunion</i>

The Mancunion is the University of Manchester Students' Union's student newspaper. It is the largest student newspaper in the United Kingdom and is distributed throughout Greater Manchester. The name is a portmanteau of Mancunian, the demonym for residents of Manchester, and union, given its role as the newspaper of the Students' Union. Past writers include film critics Mark Kermode.

References

  1. ↑ "Contact Us".
  2. ↑ Brown, Nick (21 June 2008). "At 70 is the Wessex Scene old news". Wessex Scene.
  3. ↑ "Journalism.co.uk :: Guardian rewards Wessex". www.journalism.co.uk. Archived from the original on 19 November 2007.
  4. ↑ editor, Lucy Sherriff Multimedia; UK, The Huffington Post (25 December 2014). "HuffPost UK's Student Journalist Stories of the Year" . Retrieved 15 October 2016.{{cite web}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
  5. ↑ "Wessex News". WebCat. University of Southampton Library. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  6. ↑ Nash, Sally; Sherwood, Martin (2002). The University of Southampton: An Illustrated History. James & James. p. 42. ISBN   9780907383949.
  7. ↑ Crawford, Robert (27 May 2011). "Independence threatened at University newspaper". The National Student. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  8. ↑ Fuhl, Jessica (16 April 2011). "The So:baring Truth About Student Editorial Independence?". Views on Student News. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  9. ↑ "Editorial Independence Threatened: An Open Letter from the Wessex Scene". Wessex Scene. University of Southampton Students' Union. 23 May 2011. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  10. ↑ "SUSU Media Code of Conduct". SUSU. University of Southampton Students' Union. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  11. ↑ Llewellyn, Gareth (15 April 2013). "Student publication support network finally rolled out". The Journal. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  12. ↑ "SPANC13". SPA. Student Publication Association. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  13. ↑ "Opportunity Profile: Wessex Scene Editor". SUSU.org. University of Southampton Students' Union. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  14. ↑ "Creative Industries Zone". SUSU.org. University of Southampton Students' Union. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  15. 1 2 "Wessex Scene". SUSU.org. University of Southampton Students' Union. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  16. ↑ "Meet the Committee". 17 September 2013.
  17. 1 2 3 4 "The Edge". SUSU.org. University of Southampton Students' Union. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  18. ↑ "#SPANC14 winners announced – Student Publication Association". 4 May 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  19. ↑ "#SPANC15 Award Winners Announced – Student Publication Association". 13 April 2015. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  20. 1 2 "Meet the Committee". The Edge. University of Southampton Students' Union. 17 September 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  21. ↑ "Opportunity Profile: The Edge Editor". SUSU.org. University of Southampton Students' Union. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  22. ↑ "What's on - Leadership Elections".
  23. ↑ "Edge Alumni: Committees of the Past". 25 July 2016.
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.