The ''UWM Post'' is a student newspaper independently run by the students of the

University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UW–Milwaukee, UWM, or Milwaukee) is a Public university, public Urban university, urban research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. It is the largest university in the Milwaukee metropo ...

. Published weekly in print from 1915 to 2012, it became independently operated in 1956.''UWM Post'' advertising section
''UWM Post''. Retrieved May 17, 2007. The newspaper published a new issue every Monday during the fall and spring semesters and was distributed both on campus and in the Greater Milwaukee metropolitan area. Once the largest independent college weekly in

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

, the newspaper ended its print run in 2012, though it is published online.

History

The ''UWM Post'' was formally founded with that title in 1956 after the merger of the Wisconsin State College - Milwaukee and UW Extension Milwaukee division merged that year to form the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. The paper is ultimately descended from the publications of both schools and had frequently cited 1915 and 1888 as its founding year. It was the

's unofficial campus news outlet and served as the primary source of student news, collegiate athletics and on- and off-campus events and issues for students and alumni. From the 1980s to the early 2000s, it competed with other campus papers, including the ''UWM Times'', the ''Sun'' and the ''Leader''. An independent student-run news outlet, the ''UWM Post'' was governed by a five-member Board of Directors elected by the staff, with the editor in chief serving as chair. The Board was responsible for financial solvency of the newspaper, employment and management decisions, and daily operations. The ''UWM Post'' during its period of dominance served as the primary on-campus opportunity for students in

journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree of accuracy. The word, a noun, applies to the journ ...

graphic design Graphic design is a profession, academic discipline and applied art that involves creating visual communications intended to transmit specific messages to social groups, with specific objectives. Graphic design is an interdisciplinary branch of ...

marketing Marketing is the act of acquiring, satisfying and retaining customers. It is one of the primary components of Business administration, business management and commerce. Marketing is usually conducted by the seller, typically a retailer or ma ...

and

business administration Business administration is the administration of a commercial enterprise. It includes all aspects of overseeing and supervising the business operations of an organization. Overview The administration of a business includes the performance o ...

. In addition, the paper was an active member of the community through sponsoring educational and social events and supporting

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

s. The ''UWM Post'' maintained national affiliations with

UWIRE UWIRE is an American wire service for student journalists at more than 800 colleges and universities across the United States. It acts as a sort of hub between these institutions' newspapers, giving each of its over 850 members access to news, sp ...

, the Associated Collegiate Press, the

Student Press Law Center The Student Press Law Center (SPLC) is a non-profit organization that aims to promote, support and defend press freedom rights for student journalists at high schools and colleges in the United States. It is dedicated to student free-press rights ...

and the Society for Professional Journalists. It has won awards from the American Scholastic Press Association, Wisconsin Newspaper Association, Society for Professional Journalists and a Best of Show award from the Associated Collegiate Press. The ''UWM Post''’s coverage on events and issues was regularly cited in student and other publications. At its peak, the ''Post'' produced Monday and Thursday editions with press runs of 10,000 to 15,000 copies each Monday and Thursday during the fall and spring semesters, plus summer issues. Seventy-five percent of the newspapers were distributed on the UWM campus, with the remaining newspapers disseminated to locations throughout the East Side, Riverwest, downtown, Bay View and north side neighborhoods.

Cessation of print format (2012)

The ''UWM Post'' printed its last print issue in November 2012. Because of lack of steady revenue, the ''Post'' cut its paper edition and ended salaries. An online-exclusive edition was launched in spring 2013.

Litigation

The ''UWM Post'' has been party to numerous lawsuits over the years. These included at least two lawsuits brought by former staff against the paper over its control and resources. Other legal actions saw the ''Post'' as plaintiff seeking to influence public policy. In 1991, the ''Post'' was lead plaintiff in an ACLU-supported action against the University of Wisconsin Regents which resulted in the declaration that the university's campus speech codes were unconstitutional. On November 11, 2009, the ''UWM Post'' and former editor in chief Jonathan Anderson filed a lawsuit against the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee claiming the university violated Wisconsin's public records law by redacting records the ''UWM Post'' requested regarding the university's Union Policy Board. The university argued it redacted the records pursuant to the

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA or the Buckley Amendment) is a United States federal law that governs the access to educational information and records by public entities such as potential employers, publicly funded ...

(FERPA), a federal student privacy law, because students were members of the board. The newspaper contended that the university was over-complying with FERPA and misinterpreting the law's intent. The dispute was settled out of court, with the university agreeing to release all the records requested. Kevin Lessmiller won the 2010 Wisconsin Newspaper Association's Freedom of Information Award for his coverage of the lawsuit.

References

External links

''UWM Post'' website
{{University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Student newspapers published in Wisconsin 1915 establishments in Wisconsin Newspapers established in 1915

History

Cessation of print format (2012)

Litigation

See also

References

External links