The Metropolitan, or The Met as it is commonly called, is the school newspaper of Metropolitan State University of Denver. It has a weekly press run of 3,500 copies, which are distributed every Thursday to more than 60 locations across the Auraria Campus and select locations in downtown Denver. The paper is a tabloid style publication with sections for news, sports, opinions, features and music. It focuses on issues of interest and concern to students at Metro and the other colleges located on the Auraria Campus.
Contents
The editorial direction and content of The Metropolitan are entirely student-run. The staff of The Metropolitan comprises MSU Denver students, most of whom work on a strictly volunteer basis. An editorial staff of about 10 students, including section editors, copy editors, photo editors and an editor-in-chief direct a larger staff of about 30-50 reporters, photographers, columnists and artists. The Metropolitan is supported almost entirely through advertising revenue, although it does receive a small amount of funding through student fees.
The Metropolitan is produced in the Office of Student Media, which also produces a literary and arts magazine, a news broadcast, a radio station and websites. The publications and broadcasts produced in the Office of Student media have won hundreds of awards from organizations such as the Society of Professional Journalists, Rocky Mountain Collegiate Press Association, and the Associated Collegiate Press. The Office of Student Media is run by a director and assistant director and advised by a journalism professional.
History
In 1979, staff from previous student publications, The Paper, Cherry Creek Pioneer and The Auraria Times joined together and started The Metropolitan. Emerson Schwartzkopf, and Steve Werges are credited for launching The Metropolitan, they where assited by Frank X Mullen, Sal Ruibal, and S. Peter Duray-Bito, Metropolitan State University of Denver’s current student newspaper.
The original newspaper offices were located in the Plaza Building. After the renovations on the Tivoli Student Union were completed in 1994, The Metropolitan moved to its current office at the Tivoli for a larger working and production space.
Since 1982, Kate Lutrey, Carson Reed, Doug Conarroe, Doug Bell, Kenn Bisio, Dianne Harrison-Miller and Steve Haigh have all at one time held the Director of Student Media position.
A major point in history for The Metropolitan occurred in 1992 when Editor Shawn Christopher Cox requested the names of the candidates running for the Dean of Letters, Arts and Sciences position. A six-week battle ensued between The Metropolitan staff who wanted to release those names to the public and members of the search committee, including Jodi Wetzel, who would not give up the information. Finally, in December 1992, Cox obtained the names of the three candidates and printed them in the Dec. 4 issue of The Metropolitan. This remains an important time in The Metropolitan’s history since the requested information was and still is public record, but there continues to be debate over whether names of Metro candidates should be released on the basis for the candidate’s privacy.
Awards
In 2006, The Metropolitan won the award for Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper from the Society of Professional Journalists. The staff that year also received two winning photography awards from SPJ.
In 2009, under the leadership of editor-in-chief James Kruger and managing editor Nic Garcia, the paper was a finalist for the national Pacemaker award. The paper ranked in the top 25. More than 400 non-daily campus newspapers entered the contest.
In 2011, two photographers from The Metropolitan photo staff won national Mark of Excellence awards from the Society of Professional Journalists: Sean Mullins placed first in the Breaking News Photography category and Drew Jaynes placed as a finalist in General News Photography.
In 2012, student photographer Rachel Fuenzalida won first place in the General News Photography category of the national Mark of Excellence awards.
Office of Student Media
The Met Report — Student television station and Internet Broadcasting
The Met Report is an Emmy award-winning newscast at Metropolitan State College of Denver. In 2000, the Met Report was founded by Metro students Tom Livingston, Krystal Tweeddale, and Alex Brancard. The Met Report’s mission is to cover breaking news throughout the Auraria Campus that interest Metro State students. Every Friday at 12:30 p.m. the Met Report’s newscast produces a 30-minute news segment, which can be viewed on the Internet, on campus channel 20, or on Comcast cable channel 54 in Denver County. In 2005, the Met Report was awarded the Heartland Regional Emmy Award for Student Achievements and the National CBI award. In 2004, the Met Report was winner of the SPJ National Mark of Excellence Awards for Best All Around Online Student Broadcast, and was a station finalist for Television Non-Daily Newscast. The Met Report was also awarded in 2004 the SPJ Region 9 Mark of Excellence Awards. The SPJ Region 9 Mark of Excellence Awards includes five first place awards for Television Non-Daily Newscast, Best All-Around Online Student Broadcast Station, Television General News Reporting, Television Sports Photography, and Television In-Depth Reporting, and also two second place awards for Television Sports Reporting and Television Feature. In 2003, the Met Report was nominated for an Emmy in Student Achievements and received first place for Best All-Around Student Broadcast Station at the SPJ National Mark of Excellence Awards. The Met Report was awarded an additional two first place awards for Television Non-Daily Newscast and Best All-Around Online Student Broadcast Station, a second place award for Television Sports Photography, and two third place awards for Television Sports Reporting and TV Feature Photography at the 2003 SPJ Region 9 Mark of Excellence Awards. The Met Report’s won their first award, second place for Television Non-Daily Newscast, at the 2002 SPJ Region 9 Mark of Excellence Awards. The Met Report can be viewed online at http://www.metreport.org.
KMet Radio — Student Radio Broadcasting
Met Radio is a student-directed, Internet radio station at Metropolitan State College of Denver. Jazz, rap, hip-hop, alternative, rock music and news can be listened to daily on http://www.kmetradio.org. Met Radio was created about 3 or 4 years ago by a group of Metro students who desired to spread interest in music and radio throughout the Auraria Campus. Met Radio started as a club and has disbanded. However, Met Radio is still transforming itself with the assistance the Office of Student Media. In the spring of 2006, Met Radio and the Met Report teamed up to broadcast Metro State basketball games live on the Internet. KMet Radio streams online via their website at http://www.kmetradio.org
Met Online — Online Student Journalism
Met Online is the web version of The Metropolitan, the weekly student-run newspaper of Metropolitan State College of Denver. Met Online can be viewed online at http://metnews.org/. The Met Online offers in-depth and breaking news stories, photo essays and exclusive online content. It won the Best Affiliated Web site category for SPJ region 9 in 2006 (Web Editor Joe Nguyen) and 2009 (Web Editor Drew Jaynes).
Metrosphere — Student Literary and Art Magazine
The "Metrosphere" is a collection visual art and literature created and edited by Metro students. Each fall the Office of Student Media selects an editor to direct a campus search for unique literary and visual art pieces. Flyers are put up, ads are placed in publications, and students are asks to submit their best works. Deadline for submissions is December. The editor and staff of the "Metrosphere" put together a magazine consisting of the best submissions. Each spring the "Metrosphere" magazine is distributed to students across campus at big events. The Metrosphere can be viewed online at http://www.metrosphere.org
On November 23, 2011, the Metrosphere won a Pacemaker Award in the literary (four-year) category.