Type Student newspaper Editor-in-chief Julia Munslow | Format Broadsheet Founded 1919 | |
Owner(s) Independently financed and operated Headquarters Atlanta, Georgia
United States | ||
The Emory Wheel is the independent, student-run newspaper of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. The Wheel is published once a week on Wednesday during the regular school year, and is updated daily on its website. The sections of the Wheel include News, Opinion, Sports, Emory Life, Arts & Entertainment and, formerly, The Hub, an award-winning quarterly magazine founded in 2005. Serving the Emory community since 1919, the Wheel is editorially and financially independent from the University. The staff is composed entirely of students, with the exception of the general manager, who oversees advertising and whose salary is paid by the newspaper. The Wheel offices are currently located in the Dobbs University Center.
Contents
- Origins
- Controversies
- Changing the paper
- Circulation and distribution
- Notable former staff members
- Recent Editor in chiefs
- References
The Wheel's current editor-in-chief is Julia Munslow. The executive editor is Michelle Lou, and the managing editor is Hayley Silverstein.
Origins
The Emory Wheel began in 1919 as a weekly newspaper with its offices located in the journalism department. The name is wordplay on an emery wheel, a sharpening device. An editorial published in the first issue of The Wheel explains that the newspaper will strive to sharpen the intellect of the University community. The newspaper, initially chartered by the Student Government Association, was originally meant to promote Emory's varsity level athletics and successfully lobbied to create an Emory track team.
Controversies
In the spring of 1970, a schism developed on the staff of the Wheel over the disputed election of Steve Johnson as editor. At that time the Wheel was being published twice a week. A competing newspaper was created, The Emory New Times. Both student newspapers were then published once weekly. J. Randolph Bugg, the losing candidate in the election for Wheel Editor, became the first editor of the New Times. After several years (and the graduation of all the aggrieved parties), the newspapers merged. For a while the publication was known as The Emory Wheel and New Times.
In October 2005, Wheel General Manager Eileen Smith of seven years resigned amid controversy and animosity between the Wheel staff members and the University's Division of Campus Life. The Wheel Editorial Board maintained that Smith was pressured to resign by disapproving Campus Life administrators — a violation of the newspaper's independence from the University. Campus Life declined to comment. Smith signed an agreement not to discuss her resignation.
Changing the paper
In the spring of 2015, facing a changing media landscape, the Editorial Board moved to completely overhaul the paper's internal structures, design and content schedule. The paper changed to become a weekly print publication with a focus on producing daily online content. The Wheel itself changed from a broadsheet design to tabloid-sized news magazine. In addition to new branding and a revamped social media presence, the paper launched a new website. The board also formed new video and digital teams to assist the Wheel in its transition to a modern-day media publication.
Circulation and distribution
The Emory Wheel prints 4,000 copies of the paper that are distributed throughout the main campus and surrounding areas. The newspaper's website, emorywheel.com, has all content available for free, including downloadable PDFs of the paper copies.