The Student, Europe’s oldest student newspaper, has been saved from closure thanks to an online fundraiser that has generated more than £2,000. Founded in 1887 by Robert Louis Stevenson, The Student is financially independent from both Edinburgh University and its students’ association, relying on advertising and donations to survive. The loss of a major advertiser earlier this year put its future in jeopardy, with editor-in-chief Joe Sullivan telling BBC Scotland News that the paper was barely scraping by financially and would have struggled to fund its printing costs.
Sullivan highlighted the importance of retaining a print presence as a community publication: “Without that visibility we might not be able to survive as a digital publication,” he said. The fundraiser was launched on 5 October with an initial target of £1,000, and has been supported by the student community as well as other donors. The bulk of the donations will go towards printing costs, with the remainder being invested in better equipment to help produce the newspaper.
The Student has played host to a number of distinguished former reporters, including Laura Kuenssberg, Helen Pidd, Gordon Brown, Robin Cook and James Kirkup. The current team of 25 volunteers had considered seeking university funding before agreeing that editorial independence was more important. Sullivan noted that this independence had enabled the newspaper to report honestly on both the university and students’ association, even when coverage was critical.
Sullivan expressed his joy at the success of the fundraiser, stating that the team was “overjoyed” to have hit double their initial target. “The donations have come in from all kinds of people but the most heartening to see has been people in the student community, members of our audience who just want to see us keep printing,” he said
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