The Brunswickan
The Brunswickan is the official student newspaper of the Fredericton campus of the University of New Brunswick, New Brunswick, Canada. It has a circulation of 4,000 and issues are published on the first Wednesday each month, traditionally running 8 issues annually.
| Canada's Oldest Official Student Publication | |
 "Sharkie" the Brunswickan's mascot | |
| Type | Monthly Student Newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Magazine |
| Owner(s) | Autonomous |
| Publisher | Brunswickan Publishing Inc. |
| Editor | Ally Buchanan |
| Headquarters | Student Union Building, Fredericton, New Brunswick |
| Website | thebruns |
Overview
A founding member of the Canadian University Press, The Brunswickan remains one of the largest community newspapers in Atlantic Canada, and among the largest in Canada, well out-of-proportion to the size of its home campus. In January 2009, the paper switched from broadsheet to tabloid format in response to financial pressures, and in an effort to reduce its impact on the environment. The Brunswickan subsequently dropped its circulation from 10,000 to 6,000 issues per week later that month, and again to 5,000 in 2012. Circulation dropped again to 4,000 in September 2013.
The tagline for the paper, "Canada's Oldest Official Student Publication", combines two facts: the paper is the official student publication for the Fredericton campus of the University of New Brunswick and the first issue was published in 1867, prior to any other official student publication at a Canadian university.
Regional rival, The Dalhousie Gazette at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, claims the title of "oldest student newspaper in Canada." The Gazette has published consecutively since 1868, whereas there are significant gaps in the publishing history of The Brunswickan.
During the Strax affair of 1968-69 two students were charged with contempt of court over an article published in the Brunswickan that questioned the objectivity of the New Brunswick courts. Both were found guilty. The editor, John Oliver, was fined $50 and required to print a retraction. The author, Tom Murphy, was sentenced to ten days in jail.[1][2]
In the past, members of the paper have been referred to as "brunsies", a term of pride and affection for some.
Among its notable alumni are Gary Davis, Allan Pressman, Colin B. Mackay, Bliss Carman, Charles G. D. Roberts, Dalton Camp, Fredrik Eaton, Nathan White, Sean Patrick Sullivan, Chris Wilson-Smith, Ben Conoley, Donald Pringle and Kwame Dawes.
The Brunswickan has a sister-publication, The Baron, at the other UNB campus, UNB Saint John.
The Brunswickan has a good-natured rivalry with The Aquinian, the campus newspaper for St. Thomas University which is also located on Fredericton's campus hill.
Sections
- News: Campus and off-campus coverage of student issues and events.
- Opinion: Editorials, regular columns, and letters to the editor. Rebranded in Fall 2008 to become more student-focused.
- Arts & Lifestyle: Something for everyone, from concert coverage to purse-making ventures. Books, music, theatre, sports, and other performing arts are covered as well as health, fitness, and lifestyle.
- Occasional features are also published that vary on subject matter and tie into different sections.
Editorial Board 2020-2021
- Editor-in-Chief: Ally Buchanan
- Creative Director: Jules Keenan
- Arts and Lifestyle: Marlowe Evans
- News: Taylor Chalker
- Business: Cameron Wiseman
- Multimedia: Josh Vandenborre
- Copy: Jack Sparks
Editorial history
Editor-In-Chief
- 2020-21: Ally Buchanan
- 2019-20: Brad Ackerson
- 2018: Book Sadprasid*
- 2017-18: Emma McPhee
- 2016-17: Adam Travis
- 2015-16: Emma McPhee
- 2014-15: Tess Allen
- 2013-14: Nick Murray
- 2012-13: Sandy Chase
- 2011-12: Christopher Cameron
- 2010-11: Colin McPhail
- 2009-10: Sarah Ratchford
- 2008-09: Josh O'Kane
- 2007-08: Jennifer McKenzie
- 2006-07: Tony von Richter (interim), Michele Legendre, Tony von Richter (interim), David Arthurs
- 2005-06: Brendan Doyle
- 2004-05: Patrick Reinartz
- 2003-04: Sean Patrick Sullivan
- 2002-03: Sean Patrick Sullivan
- 2001-02: Cindy Brown
- 2000-01: Cindy Brown
- 1999-00: Joseph Wilfred John FitzPatrick III
- 1998-99: Joseph Wilfred John FitzPatrick III
- 1997-98: Joseph Wilfred John FitzPatrick III
- 1996-97: Mary Rogal-Black, Joseph Wilfred John FitzPatrick III
- 1995-96: Mark Morgan
- 1994-95: Al Johnstone
- 1993-94: Karen Burgess
- 1992-93: Allan Carter
- 1991-92: Kwame Dawes
- 1989-91: Kwame Dawes
- 1988-89: Stephane Comeau
- 1987-88: Mark Stevens; Ernest Dunphy
Note: Sadprasid resigned in October and no replacement was hired for that academic year.
References
- Rhodes, Dean (30 January 1969). "Student editor fined for faulting court". The Bangor Daily News. Bangor, Maine. p. 8. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
- Frank, David (December 2013). "A turning point in UNB history". CAUT Bulletin Archives 1996-2016. Retrieved 21 January 2021.