newspaper
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, spor ...
of
Rutgers
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and w ...
, the State University of
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...
. Founded in 1869, it is the second-oldest collegiate newspaper in the United States. The ''Daily Targum'' is student written and managed, and boasts a circulation of 5,000 in 2017. In its current form, it exists as a bi-fold tabloid-style paper featuring international, national, local, and university news, as well as editorials, columns, comics, classifieds, sports, and other amusements. In 1980, the paper achieved independence from the University, establishing a
non-profit organization
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
, the Targum Publishing Company, which now oversees all areas of the paper. The ''Daily Targum'' is published Monday through Friday while classes are in session, in
CNBC
CNBC (formerly Consumer News and Business Channel) is an American basic cable business news channel. It provides business news programming on weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time, while broadcasting talk s ...
editor-in-chief
An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies.
The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...
for a period, before joining ''
The Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
''. AVN personality
David Aaron Clark
David Aaron Clark (September 5, 1960 – November 28, 2009) was an author, musician, pornographic actor, and pornographic video director.
Career
Switching majors and finally graduating with a degree in journalism in 1986. He served as editor-in- ...
served as the newspaper's editor-in-chief for a period.
Targum timeline
1866: Then Rutgers President William H. Campbell lectures to Rutgers men on the original text of the
Old Testament
The Old Testament (often abbreviated OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew writings by the Israelites. The ...
, including
Aramaic language
The Aramaic languages, short Aramaic ( syc, ܐܪܡܝܐ, Arāmāyā; oar, 𐤀𐤓𐤌𐤉𐤀; arc, 𐡀𐡓𐡌𐡉𐡀; tmr, אֲרָמִית), are a language family containing many varieties (languages and dialects) that originated in ...
paraphrases of the Hebrew Scriptures, called
Targum
A targum ( arc, תרגום 'interpretation, translation, version') was an originally spoken translation of the Hebrew Bible (also called the ''Tanakh'') that a professional translator ( ''mǝturgǝmān'') would give in the common language of the ...
s. The word "Targum" means interpretation in Aramaic and is used as a slang word when referring to crib sheets, among various Aramaic terms that become part of the campus vernacular. This is the inspiration for the name of the forthcoming periodical.
1867: The ''Targum'' first appears as a four-page publication, the forerunner of the Scarlet Letter Yearbook.
1869: On Jan. 29 the ''Targum'' begins publishing as a monthly newspaper and literary magazine. It includes campus news, poetry, humor and essays on literature, science, philosophy, religion and travel. This same year Rutgers hosts the first intercollegiate football game with
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...
, which Rutgers wins (and the ''Targum'' dutifully reports), 6–4.
1880: The ''Targum'' begins printing once every three weeks.
1891: The ''Targum'' becomes a weekly publication.
1919: The format changes from an 8" by 11" format to an 11" by 17" tabloid size.
1927: The first annual spoof issue of the Targum, the Mugrat (Targum spelled backwards) is printed. The issue reports that a Rutgers professor has been held in the county jail, charged with cruelty to animals.
1954: The Targum is printed four times a week.
1956: The newspaper becomes a daily publication, printing five days a week.
1969: Letterpress printing off-campus abandoned in favor of photo-offset print shop run by students on campus.
1970: Targum staff threatens strike if editors appoint new editorial board without staff input. Staff election of editors established through Targum caucus. Tony Mauro elected editor-in-chief over prior editors' choice.
1978: The Targum staff strikes after demands for honoraria are not met.
1980: The Targum Publishing Company files its papers of incorporation on July 1, 1980, following a year of negotiations with the University and an arduously fought battle to pass the student vote for funding. Students now fund the Targum directly through a refundable fee on their term bills.
1983: Typewriters are discarded as the first computers enter the Targum's newsroom.
1996: The Targum goes online.
1998: In January of this year, the Targum begins using full color on the front and back pages on a daily basis.
2002: The productions staff leaves film behind as the newspaper begins fully electronic publication.
2004: The "Happy Hour" comic strip begins appearing in the paper on November 30, originally created by Jim Kohl.
2006: The first issue of ''The Newark Targum'' is launched on February 15, 2006.
2008: The first video is posted on the Daily Targum website.
Source: ''Celebrating 25 Years of Independence'', by Theresa Poulson. pgs. 6–7. May 2005.
2009: Regular videos and audio slideshows begin to be posted on the Targum website.
2011: The Daily Targum increases circulation to 18,000 papers Monday through Thursday, and 15,500 on Friday. The Targum website also switches to Town News CMS web hosting, launches a Tumblr account (in addition to its Facebook and Twitter pages), and gets set to launch a mobile app for iPhones and Androids.
2013: The Daily Targum began livestreaming, beginning with the March 12 Strategic Planning Town Hall with University President Robert L. Barchi — the first on the New Brunswick campus.
2019: The Daily Targum was unsuccessful in its triennial referendum, failing to pass the vote across all eight voting units polled. The vote amassed less than 30% of the total eligible undergraduate student voting population. The Targum saw a reduction in funding of about 75% through student fees. The Targum responded by cutting its Friday print publication, decreasing its circulation to 5,000, and taking on a digital-first approach.
2020: The Daily Targum transitioned into a fully digital publication.
Referendum
In order to secure student funding for the Daily Targum, the newspaper is required to hold a referendum every three years. Since 1980, the Daily Targum has sought to receive "yes" votes from 25% of the students at each University division in order to receive funding from all the students in that division. On May 13, 2019, the Daily Targum announced it had failed to receive the necessary votes for the referendum to pass and for the paper to continue to receive funding through student fees.
See also
*
Rutgers University
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...
Rutgers Centurion
''The Centurion'' is a conservative online magazine focused on Rutgers University-New Brunswick campus life.
Its motto is "veritas vos liberabit," which is Latin for " the truth shall set you free." The magazine attempts to counterbalance the p ...