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The Signal
Cover of the March 29, 2022, issue
TypeWeekly student newspaper
Format Tabloid
Owner(s) Georgia State University
PublisherGeorgia State Student Publications
EditorAdam Duffy
Founded1933
Headquarters Atlanta, Georgia,
United States
Circulation5,000 (spring and fall) [1]
Website georgiastatesignal.com

The Signal is the official student newspaper of Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. As of 2018, The Signal has a weekly circulation of about 5,000 issues distributed to all Georgia State campuses, including Alpharetta, Atlanta, Decatur, Dunwoody, Newton and a handful of locations in the surrounding area. The paper publishes on Tuesdays during Spring and Fall semesters (in addition to a summer magazine for incoming students). It primarily covers news, events and issues specific to the Georgia State community and covers stories relating to the city of Atlanta with interest to its readers.

History

Georgia State's student newspaper evolved with each incarnation of the school. [2] The school's first student newspaper, The Technite, was named in homage to the Georgia Institute of Technology's own student paper, The Technique, when the school was founded as the Georgia School of Technology's Evening School of Commerce. [3]

In 1933, when the university became the Atlanta Extension Center of the University System of Georgia, the day division and night division of the school each produced their own separate newspaper (named The Junior Collegiate and the Evening Signal, respectively). The publications would twice coordinate with one another, initially as the Collegiate-Signal on April 21, 1941, and again as the University Signal on September 22, 1941. [4] When the two publications merged permanently in 1943, the formal name of the publication became The Signal. [5] Since that time, a number of mastheads have been used, including The University Signal, The Georgia State Signal, the Georgia State College Signal, and the Georgia State University Signal. [6]

During his time at Georgia State, D.W. Pine, design director of Time magazine was editor-in-chief of The Signal. [7]

Present-day publication

The March 13, 2012 front page of The Signal

The print edition of The Signal is published every Tuesday during the Fall and Spring semesters, with the exceptions of Finals Week, Spring break and Thanksgiving break. It also prints a special summer magazine for incoming freshman and transfer students, known as The Urbanite (named after the arts & entertainment magazine once published by The Signal in the 1990s and 2000s). The website is updated daily throughout the year.

The newspaper is operated by a staff of approximately 100 paid and unpaid students, subdivided into editorial, production, marketing and advertising departments. Although Georgia State offers degrees in journalism, The Signal allows students from any major within the university to contribute. It is funded primarily by print and digital advertising, while its printing costs are paid for by student fees. [8] It runs its website independent from the school and the current URL (georgiastatesignal.com) was launched in 2012 after over a decade of the paper publishing through the College Publisher system (at gsusignal.com).

Sections

The print edition of The Signal is generally between 16 and 20 pages long and organized into four sections:

Awards

The Signal has won numerous awards, including;

  • The 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2017 General Excellence awards in "Division 4A" from the Georgia College Press Association [9] [10]
  • The "Best College Newspaper" award in the Southeast Journalism Conference's 2013, 2016, 2017, 2020 and 2021 "Best of the South" contests [11] [12] [13]
  • Best in Show in its division at the National College Media Convention on November 4, 2012 [14]

Notable alumni

References

  1. ^ "Nationwide Newspapers". Nationwideadvertising.com. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
  2. ^ "97 Years Strong" (PDF). Georgia State University. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 11, 2011. Retrieved June 6, 2012.
  3. ^ "Technite, 1930-10-20". Digital Collections. Georgia State University Library. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
  4. ^ "Evening Signal, 1933-10-02". Digital Collections. Georgia State University Library. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
  5. ^ "The Georgia State University Signal, 1970-10-22". Digital Collections. Georgia State University Library. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
  6. ^ "Georgia State Signal, 1962-11-14". Digital Collections. Georgia State University Library. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
  7. ^ Supreme, James. "10 SUPERSTARS YOU NEVER KNEW ATTENDED GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY". Students in the City. Georgia State University. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
  8. ^ Seupersad, Leah. "A New Signal". Georgia State University. Retrieved May 11, 2013.
  9. ^ "Student Newspaper Wins Top Honors at College Press Awards, Journalism Conference". Georgia State University. Retrieved February 23, 2014.
  10. ^ "Students Learn- and Win- at SEJC and GPI - Student Media". studentmedia.gsu.edu. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  11. ^ ""Best College Newspaper" win highlights 16 top ten finishes for Signal/GSTV/WRAS at SEJC". Southeast Journalism Conference. Retrieved February 23, 2014.
  12. ^ "2016 Winners | Southeast Journalism Conference". sejc.org. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  13. ^ "Students Learn- and Win- at SEJC and GPI - Student Media". studentmedia.gsu.edu. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  14. ^ "Signal Wins at National College Media Convention". Georgia State University. Retrieved February 23, 2014.

External links