Type | Daily newspaper |
---|---|
Format | Broadsheet |
Owner(s) | Illini Media Company |
Founded | 1871 |
Headquarters | 512 E. Green St., Champaign, Illinois 61820 |
Website | www.dailyillini.com |
The Daily Illini, commonly known as the DI, is a student-run newspaper that has been published for the community of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign since 1871. Weekday circulation during fall and spring semesters is 20,000; copies are distributed free at more than 250 locations throughout Champaign-Urbana.
The paper is published by Illini Media Company, a not-for-profit corporation which also prints other U of I publications, and also and operates WPGU 107.1 FM, a student-run commercial radio station. While the IMC has no official ties to the university, university professors and others in the academic community serve on its board of directors. The newspaper's staff has both full-time professionals and amateur students.
The paper is printed as a broadsheet, but downsizes during the summer months as a tabloid.
The editorial, business and production departments are staffed by students who are enrolled in a wide variety of degree programs, not just journalism. Several full-time professionals, including the newspaper's publisher and the advertising and circulation managers, are employees of IMC. Some students are paid for their jobs in reporting, editing, production and advertising, but some of the students work for free, as well.
The Daily Illini staff completely changes once per year, known as "turnover" in the DI offices. "Turnover" means the current group of editors (editor-in-chief, news editors, sports editors, opinions editors and features editors, among others) finish their tenure at the DI in their current editing position, and a new group of editors fills these positions. The new editor-in-chief is chosen by some members of the IMC, and then the editor-in-chief chooses all of the other editors that will work under him/her.
At the beginning of each fall and spring semester, the DI hires new reporters and staff members. All University of Illinois students, regardless of major, are encouraged to apply.
The DI regularly receives awards such as the Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold and Silver Crowns and the Associated College Press Pacemaker Award.
In February 2010, The Daily Illini was awarded the General Excellence award by the Illinois Collegiate Press Association. Their Web site, www.dailyillini.com has been named the best college newspaper Web site in the state for the past four years.
The newspaper's offices are currently located on Green Street in Champaign. In May 2006, the newspaper, along with the other IMC entities, moved east to a new building closer to campus on Green Street in Champaign. In doing so, the company consolidated the offices of WPGU, which had been in a separate location, with the offices of the rest of the IMC entities.