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''The Michigan Daily'', also known as "''The Daily''", is the independent
student newspaper A student publication is a media outlet such as a newspaper, magazine, television show, or radio station Graduate student journal, produced by students at an educational institution. These publications typically cover local and school-related new ...
of the
University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
published in
Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor is a city in Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851, making it the List of municipalities in Michigan, fifth-most populous cit ...
. Established on September 29, 1890, the newspaper is financially and editorially independent from the university. A print edition of the paper is published once a week during the fall and winter terms. In 2020, the paper received nearly 6 million website visits, and serves over 50,000 university students and nearly 350,000 residents throughout Washtenaw County. The co-editors in chief are Zhane Yamin and Mary Corey, who were elected by the staff in December 2024.


History

On April 12, 1955, when the success of
Jonas Salk Jonas Edward Salk (; born Jonas Salk; October 28, 1914June 23, 1995) was an American virologist and medical researcher who developed one of the first successful polio vaccines. He was born in New York City and attended the City College of New ...
's polio vaccine was announced at the University of Michigan the ''Daily'' was the first newspaper to report it. In 1957, the ''Daily'' sent a staff member to Little Rock, Arkansas who, pretending to be a student, attended classes on the first day of integration. Activist and politician
Tom Hayden Thomas Emmet Hayden (December 11, 1939October 23, 2016) was an American social and political activist, author, and politician. Hayden was best known for his role as an anti-war, civil rights, and intellectual activist in the 1960s, becoming an i ...
, a former ''Daily'' editor-in-chief who helped found
Students for a Democratic Society Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) was a national student activist organization in the United States during the 1960s and was one of the principal representations of the New Left. Disdaining permanent leaders, hierarchical relationships a ...
while editing the ''Daily'', came to personify the publication's editorial philosophy during the 1960s. The paper was the subject of national press coverage in 1967, when it urged the legalization of
marijuana Cannabis (), commonly known as marijuana (), weed, pot, and ganja, List of slang names for cannabis, among other names, is a non-chemically uniform psychoactive drug from the ''Cannabis'' plant. Native to Central or South Asia, cannabis has ...
, and again during the
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in 1991, when it called for the reinstatement of the military draft. The ''Daily'' was instrumental in the spread of the "
Paul is dead "Paul is dead" is an urban legend and conspiracy theory alleging that English musician Paul McCartney of the Beatles died in 1966 and was secretly replaced by a look-alike. The rumour began circulating in 1966, gaining broad popularity in Se ...
"
urban legend Urban legend (sometimes modern legend, urban myth, or simply legend) is a genre of folklore concerning stories about an unusual (usually scary) or humorous event that many people believe to be true but largely are not. These legends can be e ...
. An October 14, 1969 ''Daily'' article by Fred LaBour and John Gray, entitled "McCartney Dead; New Evidence Brought to Light", itemized various "clues", many of them of their own invention. Their "reporting" of McCartney's death is claimed by Beatleologist Andru J. Reeve to have been "the single most significant factor in the breadth of the rumor's spread."Glenn, Allen, "Paul is dead (said Fred)"
, '' Michigan Today'' (November 11, 2009)
The first female editor-in-chief of ''The'' ''Daily'' was Harriett Woods, who later served in Missouri State government, ran for the Senate twice in the 1980s nearly beating
John Danforth John Claggett Danforth (born September 5, 1936) is an American politician, attorney, diplomat, and Episcopal priest who served as the Attorney General of Missouri from 1969 to 1976 and as a United States Senator from 1976 to 1995. A member of the ...
the first time, and led the National Women's Political Caucus through its Year of the Woman in 1992. In 2007, renovations to the historic building at 420 Maynard Street were completed, funded entirely by private donations from alumni. To dedicate the renovated building, a reunion of the staffs of ''The Michigan Daily'', the '' Michiganensian'' yearbook, and the ''Gargoyle'' ''Humor Magazine'' was held from October 26 to 28, 2007. On January 28, 2014, ''The'' ''Daily'' earned national recognition for breaking news that a Michigan football player had been separated from the university for sexual misconduct. In 2017, Avery Friedman founded ''The Daily's'' podcast section.


Organization


Overview

The newspaper is financially and editorially independent of the university's administration and other student groups, but shares a university building with other student publications on 420 Maynard Street, north of the
Michigan Union The Michigan Union is a student union at the University of Michigan. It is located at the intersection of South State Street and South University Avenue in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The building was built in 1917 and is one of several unions at the ...
. ''The Daily'' acts as the University of Michigan's de facto
journalism school A journalism school is a school or department, usually part of an established university, where journalists are trained. 'J-School' is an increasingly used term for a journalism department at a school or college. Journalists in most parts of the ...
, since the university does not have a journalism program or department.


Content

''The Daily'' publishes content every day. The newspaper is published weekly in broadsheet form during the fall and winter semesters and in tabloid form from May to August. Broadsheets contain a lengthy ''SportsWednesday'' Sports section and occasionally an extended, themed issue called ''The B-Side'' from the Arts section. They also include a magazine, originally titled ''Weekend Magazine.'' In the fall of 2005, the magazine was renamed ''The Statement,'' a reference to former ''Daily'' editor-in-chief
Tom Hayden Thomas Emmet Hayden (December 11, 1939October 23, 2016) was an American social and political activist, author, and politician. Hayden was best known for his role as an anti-war, civil rights, and intellectual activist in the 1960s, becoming an i ...
's ''
Port Huron Statement The Port Huron Statement is a 1962 political manifesto of the American student activist movement Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). It was written by SDS members, and completed on June 15, 1962, at a United Auto Workers (UAW) retreat outsi ...
.''


Management

The newspaper's editorial staff is led by the
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 editor-in-chief heads all departments of the organization and is held accoun ...
, or two co-editors-in-chief. It is divided into the following sections: news, opinion, sports, arts, photography, web, copy, video, Statement, Michigan in Color, audience engagement, design, podcast, culture, training and inclusion, Focal Point and games. The news section has nine beats: Academics, Student Government, Administration, Business, Public Safety, Campus Life, City, Government, and Research. Each year, the entire newspaper staff elects the main editorial leadership, which includes the editor-in-chief, who oversees all sections, and the Joshua Mitnick ’92, ’95 managing editor and digital managing editor, who report to the editor-in-chief. Each section is led by at least one managing editor and may also have least one senior or assistant editor. The editorial page editor, or editorial page editors, manage the opinion section. The Management Desk, referred to as MDesk, is the governing body of ''The Daily'' that makes decisions affecting the entire newspaper. MDesk members include the main editorial leadership and the managing and senior editors of each section. ''The Daily'' has strict bylaws regarding journalistic integrity and ethics. Opinion staffers cannot simultaneously be a member of news or photo staff. The newspaper also restricts news writers from expressing political views and prohibits all staffers from serving in student government.


Notable alumni

Many columnists and editors from ''The Daily'' have gone to hold prominent positions in government, journalism, and more, working for publications like ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'',
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
, ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
'', ''Time'' magazine, and the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
''. Alumni include playwright
Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are '' All My Sons'' (1947), '' Death of a Salesman'' (1 ...
, 47th governor of New York and presidential candidate
Thomas Dewey Thomas Edmund Dewey (March 24, 1902 – March 16, 1971) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 47th Governor of New York from 1943 to 1954. He was the Republican Party's nominee for president of the United States in 1944 and ...
, activist
Tom Hayden Thomas Emmet Hayden (December 11, 1939October 23, 2016) was an American social and political activist, author, and politician. Hayden was best known for his role as an anti-war, civil rights, and intellectual activist in the 1960s, becoming an i ...
, investment banker
Bruce Wasserstein Bruce Jay Wasserstein (December 25, 1947 – October 14, 2009) was an American investment banker, businessman, and writer. He was prominent in the mergers and acquisitions industry, credited with working on 1,000 transactions with a total value ...
, journalist and physician Sanjay Gupta, former chairman of
American Airlines American Airlines, Inc. is a major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, and is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the ...
George A. Spater, journalist and game show host
Mike Wallace Myron Leon Wallace (May 9, 1918 – April 7, 2012) was an American journalist, game show host, actor, and media personality. Known for his investigative journalism, he interviewed a wide range of prominent newsmakers during his seven-decade car ...
, and former lieutenant governor of Missouri Harriett Woods. Notable journalists and writers include seven
Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...
winners: Eugene Robinson, Lisa Pollak, Ann Marie Lipinski,
Amy Harmon Amy Harmon (born September 17, 1968) is an American journalist.
''nytimes.com''. Retrieve ...
, Stanford Lipsey, and
Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are '' All My Sons'' (1947), '' Death of a Salesman'' (1 ...
. They also include notable broadcast journalists like du-Pont Columbia Award winner David Schechter. Singer-Songwriter Avery Friedman wrote for ''The Daily,'' and launched their podcast department in 2017, before releasing her debut album in 2025. Awards won by ''The Daily'' include the 2023 National Pacemaker Award in online media, 22 awards from the
Society of Professional Journalists The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), formerly known as Sigma Delta Chi, is the oldest organization representing journalists in the United States. It was established on April 17, 1909, at DePauw University,2009 SPJ Annual Report, lette ...
in 2020 and 2021, and 14 awards from the Michigan College Press Association in 2018.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Michigan Daily Newspapers established in 1890 Student newspapers published in Michigan University of Michigan mass media 1890 establishments in Michigan Mass media in Ann Arbor, Michigan University of Michigan student organizations