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{{short description|Student newspaper of the University of Reading}}
{{Underlinked|date=January 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox newspaper
{{Infobox newspaper
|name = Spark
|name = The Spark
|image = sparknewspaperlogo.png
|image = sparknewspaperlogo.png
|image_size = 250px
|image_size = 250px
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}}
}}


'''''The Spark''''' is the [[student newspaper]] of the [[University of Reading]] in the United Kingdom
⚫
'''''Spark*''''' is the student newspaper of the [[University of Reading]]. It is produced monthly during term time (previously fortnightly), and as of June 2011 the newspaper has reached Volume 57 Issue 3, following a convention of increasing volume number with each new academic term. It is available as a paper edition distributed across University halls of residence, academic, and administrative buildings. The current editorial team are in the process of redeveloping the newspaper's website, with a view to uploading the newspaper in a digital format and providing web-exclusive content to maximise volunteering opportunities. The paper follows a traditional newspaper layout: the front portion of the newspaper is devoted to news issues, particularly those concerning students at the University.

⚫
''The Spark'' is produced monthly during term time (previously fortnightly) and is available as a paper edition distributed across University halls of residence, academic, and administrative buildings. The paper follows a traditional newspaper layout: the front portion of the newspaper is devoted to news issues, particularly those concerning students at the university.


==History==
==History==
''Spark*'' was established in 1934 as '''''The Shell''''', and varied considerably in design, style and quality with the change in the demographic of the University, the advancement in printing and editorial techniques, and the change in political orientation of the editorial team. In 1984, the newspaper changed format to a more magazine-style publication, rebranding itself as the short-lived '''''Splat''''', before changing again to ''Spark*'' in 1988. ''Spark*'' reverted to a newspaper format in 1990, under the title ''Spark''. At this point the newspaper was published weekly. In 2006 the then Reading University Students' Union (RUSU) President Dave Lewis took the decision to have ''Spark*'' published fortnightly, to reduce costs and to give the volunteer staff more time between issues whilst completing their degrees. This move coincided with a move to printing in full colour and the rebranding as ''Spark*''.
''The Spark'' was established in 1934 as ''The Shell''. In 1984, the newspaper changed format to a more [[magazine]]-style publication, rebranding itself as the short-lived ''Splat,'' before changing again to ''Spark*'' in 1988. ''Spark*'' reverted to a newspaper format in 1990, under the title ''Spark''. At this point the newspaper was published weekly.


In 2006, the then Reading University Students' Union ([[University of Reading#student life|RUSU]]) President Dave Lewis decided to have ''Spark*'' published fortnightly, to reduce costs and to give the volunteer staff more time between issues whilst completing their degrees. This move coincided with a move to printing in full colour and the rebranding as ''Spark*''.
In January 2008 ''Spark*'' was radically redesigned and restructured under the leadership of then editor Claire Taylor. The new design was introduced to create a fresh and modern brand for the paper and to ensure individual sections were easily distinguishable. The first issue of 2008 featured an exclusive in depth interview with the newly appointed University Chancellor Sir [[John Madejski]].


⚫
In a 2005 [[The Independent|Independent]] article, a former Varsity editor described ''The Spark'' as 'about as visually appealing as a punch in the retina'.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/grant-chequebook-journalism-pays-off-530237.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220524/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/grant-chequebook-journalism-pays-off-530237.html |archive-date=24 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Grant chequebook journalism pays off - Media, News |publisher=The Independent |date=2005-03-28 |accessdate=2010-12-15}}</ref> Since then, the newspaper has had a major redesign by University Typography and Graphic Communication students, and has upgraded its design software to [[Adobe InDesign|Adobe InDesign CS3]] .
Over recent years, ''Spark*'' has expanded considerably, with the addition of Debate, TV, and Creative pages in 2008, the addition of Science and Technology and Fun and Games pages in 2009, and the addition of Political Comment, Beauty and Food pages in 2010. The newspaper now varies between 40 and 48 pages (rendering it one of the largest student publications in the UK by page number) and is published 15 times per year.

⚫
In recent years, ''Spark*'' has been aiming to increase the quality of the newspaper, particularly following a scathing ''Independent'' article in 2005, where a former Varsity editor described ''Spark*'' as 'about as visually appealing as a punch in the retina'.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/grant-chequebook-journalism-pays-off-530237.html |title=Grant chequebook journalism pays off - Media, News |publisher=The Independent |date=2005-03-28 |accessdate=2010-12-15}}</ref> Since then, the newspaper has had a major redesign by University Typography and Graphic Communication students, and has upgraded its design software to [[Adobe InDesign|Adobe InDesign CS3]] thanks to a kind donation by the University's annual fund.

Recently, the newspaper has come under pressure from a rival newspaper. Created by Mr Master's brother.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reading.ac.uk/internal/staffportal/news/articles/spsn-338293.aspx |title=Alumni and staff make record-breaking donations to Annual Fund - University of Reading |publisher=Reading.ac.uk |date=2010-12-09 |accessdate=2010-12-15}}</ref> ''Spark*'' is currently in the process of upgrading its ageing eMac computers to faster, more modern [[iMac]] systems.

==Organisation==
The paper has a 25-person editorial team consisting of current students from all years and academic disciplines, who edit the newspaper alongside work on their degrees. Formal recruitment of a new editorial team is carried out in the spring term of the academic year, with section editors largely being recruited from within each section's pool of writers. The new committee is selected in interviews by the student union.

All students at the University are encouraged to write for the paper and many sections of the paper have weekly or fortnightly meetings to discuss and allocate stories for the next edition - there are opportunities to join each section team at the Freshers' Fayre at the beginning of the year or by emailing the relevant section editor. There are also opportunities to get involved in proofreading, photography, PR or the newspaper's website.

==Political stance==
''Spark*'' takes a strong pro-student stance, and often places itself as the voice of the students, though it believes in ensuring that students are provided with all of the facts, and will therefore commission articles arguing for the opposing side in any debate. ''Spark*'' insists on editorial independence, and has therefore published controversial articles criticising the policies of RUSU, the University and the government of the day, often against the wishes of RUSU student officers or University officials.

''Spark*'' has no party political line or stated political sympathy. A broad range of views are expressed, and the centre of gravity tends to change frequently, owing to the rapid turnover of editorial staff.

==Relationship with Reading University Students' Union==
Despite receiving all of its funding from Reading University Students' Union (RUSU), ''Spark*'' is keen to maintain its editorial independence from its parent body. There have been occasions in the past when ''Spark*'' has published articles that criticise the union's administration or decisions, and ''Spark*'' editors believe that their role should be to uphold freedom of speech and the right to scrutinise and criticise decisions made by the Union's student officers. However, because ''Spark*'' is funded by RUSU, it is required by Union policy (ratified in 2010) to refrain from advertising or promotion of venues, events or products that directly compete with the Union's commercial undertakings.<ref>http://www.rusu.co.uk/resourcehandler/c936bd00-1fc9-4feb-a68f-d9578d28a193/</ref> This led to problems in 2005 when Editor Gavin Whenman allowed the publication of an article containing a reference to a jazz club in Reading town centre. RUSU President Dave Lewis held that this went against the Union's advertising policy and froze the accounts of the newspaper, despite a 'gentleman's agreement' that had previously allowed ''Spark*'' to advertise events where there was no directly competing night at the Union. A lengthy altercation ensued, creating a situation where ''Spark*'' editors were reluctant to go against the wishes of the Union for fear of losing funding or being shut down altogether. The situation was resolved in the 2009-10 academic year, when the Editor, Deputy Editor, and News Editor negotiated clear terms and conditions for the ''Spark*'' editorial code of conduct, which was cemented as RUSU's media policy, proposed by the 2010-11 Deputy Editor and seconded by the Editor.

In 2011, following a series of disagreements over editorial content, the Deputy Editor formulated ''Spark*'''s first operational policy, which was to govern its dealings with RUSU elected officers and staff, its rights and responsibilities, and the manner in which the editorial team would handle complaints.


==Awards==
==Awards==
''Spark*'' is frequently nominated by its editorial team for the [[Guardian Student Media Awards|''Guardian'' Student Media Awards]] in a number of categories. Although not successful since 1997 when a ''Spark*'' journalist won the award for Best Student Reporter, ''Spark*'' continues to strive for improvement and hopes for award success in the near future. The newspaper is also frequently nominated for the student media categories of the NUS Awards.
''The Spark has been'' nominated by its editorial team for the [[Guardian Student Media Awards|''Guardian'' Student Media Awards]] in a number of categories. In 2010, two writers, Georgina Mills and Marcus Greenslade, won first and second prizes respectively in Up to Speed's student journalism competition.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/editors/2010/02/04/student-journalism-update-sky-names-bob-friend-scholar-up-to-speed-awards-announced/ |title=Student journalism update: Sky names Bob Friend Scholar, Up To Speed awards announced &#124; Journalism.co.uk Editors' Blog |publisher=Blogs.journalism.co.uk |date=2010-02-04 |accessdate=2010-12-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/2068101_students_have_the_spark_for_journalism |title=Students have the Spark for journalism - News - getreading - Reading Post |publisher=getreading |date=2010-03-24 |accessdate=2010-12-15}}</ref>

2010 was a particularly strong year for ''Spark*'', beginning with two writers, Georgina Mills and Marcus Greenslade, winning first and second prizes respectively in Up to Speed's student journalism competition.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/editors/2010/02/04/student-journalism-update-sky-names-bob-friend-scholar-up-to-speed-awards-announced/ |title=Student journalism update: Sky names Bob Friend Scholar, Up To Speed awards announced &#124; Journalism.co.uk Editors' Blog |publisher=Blogs.journalism.co.uk |date=2010-02-04 |accessdate=2010-12-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/2068101_students_have_the_spark_for_journalism |title=Students have the Spark for journalism - News - getreading - Reading Post |publisher=getreading |date=2010-03-24 |accessdate=2010-12-15}}</ref>

Later that year, 2009-10 editor Rebecca Varney was invited on an all expenses paid trip to Australia by the Tourism Australia board, recognising ''Spark*'' to be one of the top four student newspapers in the UK.


In November 2010, ''Spark*''{{'}}s music editor Kate Allen received the gong for best student writer at the Record of the Day Awards 2010, which recognise contributions to music journalism. Kate was heavily commended by the ''Guardian''{{'}}s Film and Music editor, Michael Hann.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.recordoftheday.com/news-and-press/article.php?contentID=1160 |title=Record of the Day |publisher=Record of the Day |date=2010-11-26 |accessdate=2010-12-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.recordoftheday.com/awards/index.php |title=Record of the Day |publisher=Record of the Day |date=2010-12-02 |accessdate=2010-12-15}}</ref>
In November 2010, ''The Spark''{{'}}s (then known as 'Spark*') music editor Kate Allen received the gong for best student writer at the Record of the Day Awards 2010, which recognise contributions to music journalism.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.recordoftheday.com/news-and-press/article.php?contentID=1160 |title=Record of the Day |publisher=Record of the Day |date=2010-11-26 |accessdate=2010-12-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.recordoftheday.com/awards/index.php |title=Record of the Day |publisher=Record of the Day |date=2010-12-02 |accessdate=2010-12-15 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111111021939/http://www.recordoftheday.com/awards/index.php |archivedate=2011-11-11 }}</ref>


==References==
==References==
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==External links==
==External links==
* [http://sparknewspaper.co.uk/ ''Spark*'''s website]
* [http://sparknewspaper.co.uk/ ''The Spark''{{'s}} website]


{{University of Reading}}
{{University of Reading}}
{{Student newspapers in the United Kingdom}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Spark}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spark}}
[[Category:Student newspapers published in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Student newspapers published in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:University of Reading]]
[[Category:University of Reading]]
[[Category:Newspapers established in 1934]]
[[Category:1934 establishments in the United Kingdom]]

Latest revision as of 06:52, 5 February 2024

The Spark
TypeMonthly newspaper
FormatCompact (Tabloid)
Owner(s)Reading University Students' Union
Founded1934
HeadquartersReading University Students' Union Media Centre
Circulation2,000
Websitesparknewspaper.co.uk

The Spark is the student newspaper of the University of Reading in the United Kingdom

The Spark is produced monthly during term time (previously fortnightly) and is available as a paper edition distributed across University halls of residence, academic, and administrative buildings. The paper follows a traditional newspaper layout: the front portion of the newspaper is devoted to news issues, particularly those concerning students at the university.

History

[edit]

The Spark was established in 1934 as The Shell. In 1984, the newspaper changed format to a more magazine-style publication, rebranding itself as the short-lived Splat, before changing again to Spark* in 1988. Spark* reverted to a newspaper format in 1990, under the title Spark. At this point the newspaper was published weekly.

In 2006, the then Reading University Students' Union (RUSU) President Dave Lewis decided to have Spark* published fortnightly, to reduce costs and to give the volunteer staff more time between issues whilst completing their degrees. This move coincided with a move to printing in full colour and the rebranding as Spark*.

In a 2005 Independent article, a former Varsity editor described The Spark as 'about as visually appealing as a punch in the retina'.[1] Since then, the newspaper has had a major redesign by University Typography and Graphic Communication students, and has upgraded its design software to Adobe InDesign CS3 .

Awards

[edit]

The Spark has been nominated by its editorial team for the Guardian Student Media Awards in a number of categories. In 2010, two writers, Georgina Mills and Marcus Greenslade, won first and second prizes respectively in Up to Speed's student journalism competition.[2][3]

In November 2010, The Spark's (then known as 'Spark*') music editor Kate Allen received the gong for best student writer at the Record of the Day Awards 2010, which recognise contributions to music journalism.[4][5]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Grant chequebook journalism pays off - Media, News". The Independent. 28 March 2005. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  2. ^ "Student journalism update: Sky names Bob Friend Scholar, Up To Speed awards announced | Journalism.co.uk Editors' Blog". Blogs.journalism.co.uk. 4 February 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  3. ^ "Students have the Spark for journalism - News - getreading - Reading Post". getreading. 24 March 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  4. ^ "Record of the Day". Record of the Day. 26 November 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  5. ^ "Record of the Day". Record of the Day. 2 December 2010. Archived from the original on 11 November 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
[edit]
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