The Daily Collegian is a student-produced news outlet, with a newspaper and website, that is published independently at the Pennsylvania State University. The newspaper is printed once a week during the fall and spring semesters, and not at all during the summer semester. It is distributed for free at Penn State University Park, the university's main campus, and mailed to paid subscribers across the country.

Collegian Inc., which publishes the Daily Collegian, is an independent, nonprofit corporation and has a board of directors that is composed of faculty, students, and professionals. The mission statement of Collegian Inc. is "to publish a quality campus newspaper and to provide a rewarding educational experience for the student staff members." It has EIN 24-0861373 as a 501(c)(3) Public Charity; in 2024 it claimed $592,814 in total revenue and total assets of $1,603,769.

The Daily Collegian has historically been considered one of the top student-run college newspapers in the United States receiving multiple notable journalism awards including National Pacemaker Awards, top rankings from The Princeton Review, and Sigma Delta Chi Awards.

The Daily Collegian traces its founding back to the Free Lance, a monthly student magazine published by students and faculty of Pennsylvania State University, which began printing in April 1887. The Free Lance struggled structurally and financially eventually disbanding in April 1904. The next semester, in October 1904, the State Collegian emerged with much of the same leadership as the previous publication. The name of the publication was changed to the Penn State Collegian in 1911, and the paper began publishing on a semi-weekly basis in September 1920. The success of semi-weekly printing lead the paper to began publishing daily in 1940, changing its name to the Daily Collegian.

In 1996, the Daily Collegian began pursuing a larger digital presence, creating The Digital Collegian in 1996, the publications website that provides online access to articles digitally and print stories dating from 1988 to the present. Daily printing continued until 2017, when the Daily Collegian announced it would move away from printing five days a week and would instead print twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays. The shift was made as a majority of the publication's readership was coming from its online publication.

History

The Free Lance

thumb|The decorative cover of the first issue of the Free Lance in 1889

thumb|The logo for The Free Lance, a student publication at [[Pennsylvania State University|Penn State University]]

The Free Lance was a monthly news magazine at Pennsylvania State University, which was first published in April 1887. The first copies of the Free Lance were shipped to State College, Pennsylvania by the Bellefonte Central train. The arrival of the first issue of the publication was celebrated by a large group of students who waited for the train and paraded down College Avenue in Downtown State College to purchase their copy.

Most of the articles inside of the Free Lance were opinion pieces on national events penned by professors and alumni of the university. Much of the news coverage coming from the publication had already become public knowledge by the time each monthly edition was released. The Free Lance mostly took an approach to filling in holes in stories and giving opinion on events rather than reporting them first hand. Throughout the next three years editors continued to asks for financial support and payment from delinquent subscribers. The requests were not met and the magazine concluded publication with its April 1904 edition, which did not appear on campus until May of that year.

The State Collegian

thumb|The logo of The State Collegian, a student publication at Penn State University

The semester after publication ceased on the Free Lance, its former editor and much of the former periodical's staff founded the State Collegian, a weekly newspaper. The newspaper was established independent of the university's control and produced its first issue in October 1904. In its first edition the State Collegiain editor William B. Hoke penned an editorial outlining the decline of the Free Lance and how the new paper would be different. Hoke outlined a mission to have a paper that contained news and events from around the community citing the failure of its predecessor to its shift away from news based content. Printing of the publication was interrupted because of materials shortages caused by World War I during the fall semester of 1918.

Beginning with the Fall 2006 semester, the Digital Collegian was renamed the Daily Collegian Online and debuted a new home page layout. A Web department was formed with the purpose of creating online updates for breaking news and posting stories on days when classes were not in session.

Along with this launch came a project to digitize and make publicly accessible all issues of the Free Lance, State Collegian, Penn State Collegian and the Daily Collegian through 1922. At the time, Collegian Inc. owned some of the last remaining paper copies of the Free Lance but the copies had yet to be scanned to microfilm to preserve them. Penn State's Libraries Special Collections/University Archives, Preservation and Digitization Department, and News and Microforms Library met with Collegian Inc. in spring of 2003 to discuss digitizing the last remaining copies. At the time only researchers, alumni, and students had access to historical print issues through bound issue books located at the University Archives. The proposed project set out to scan all issues April 1887-August 2, 1940, in total 16,000 page images, in a year or less. In spring of 2004, one year from the universities initial meeting with Collegian Inc., the 1887-1940 segment was completed and made publicly accessible online.

After the success of the initial project Collegian, Inc. granted permission to digitize all issues through 1988. The second scanning project was completed over four years, making in total 132,736 total pages publicly available in 2008. Penn State's Library provided all funding for conversion, software/hardware, on-going maintenance and upgrades. The project came in at a cost of $178,541.

The University Libraries allowed Google to crawl its database starting in 2007, making historical content searchable. With this came multiple lawsuits as formerly inaccessible articles on arrest and disciplinary reports became easily accessible to the public. The orders were obtained by State College lawyer Joe Amendola, who was quoted in The Philadelphia Inquirer, saying, “What's the sense in having your record expunged if anyone can Google you and it comes up?” The five defendants had either pled guilty to criminal charges ranging from aggravated indecent assault to possession of marijuana, or completed pretrial diversion programs that resulted in no finding of guilt.

The expungement orders were eventually revised to remove any reference to the Centre Daily Times and the Daily Collegian on July 8, 2010. Judge Thomas Kistler told The Philadelphia Inquirer, "It was never anybody's intention to restrict [the papers].” Kistler Acknowledged the strong protections given the news media by the First Amendment, saying, "I can't tell them what to do." Kistler claimed court officials had not noticed that the newspapers were on the list of expungement orders sought by lawyer Amendola. "It was a breakdown under the rush of the system," Kistler said.

Arrest of photographer

A riot broke out in downtown State College, Pennsylvania on October 25, 2008, after no. 3 Penn State Football defeated no. 10 Ohio State Football 13-6. Daily Collegian photographer, Michael Felletter, was on assignment documenting the riot when he was arrested by police officers after he allegedly did not comply with orders to leave the area. Felletter was charged with failure to disperse, a second-degree misdemeanor, and disorderly conduct, a third-degree misdemeanor.

Police alleged Felletter's presence had caused the crowd to become more exuberant, excited, and destructive.

Felletter was represented pro bono on behalf of the American Civil Liberties Union. Centre County District Attorney, Michael Madeira, claimed that the case centered around Felletter's refusal to obey a police order and not around the First Amendment or the photographer's journalistic activity. The Magisterial District Judge Carmine Prestia dismissed Felletter's disorderly conduct charge saying the crowd's actions were not Felletter's fault. The judge also dismissed all of the counts of failure to disperse but one, saying a sole charge was sufficient claiming the press is not above the law.

Felletter lawyer argued coverage of the riot was valuable to both citizens and the government and that these charges violated the second amendment. Felletter lawyer cited the State College Police use of Felletter's photographs in facilitating the identification of others involved in the riot who were ultimately prosecuted. Centre County Judge David E. Grine dismissed the remaining charge, failure to disperse, against the photographer citing "unclear" evidence. Grine ruled it is uncertain whether Felletter's compliance with police orders to "move along" was adequate when he moved from the street to sidewalk. Additionally, Grine blamed the rioters for their behavior—not Felletter, according to the ruling. After initially requesting an appeal, Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller filed a motion to drop the appeal.

The Collegian Chronicles

The book, The Collegian Chronicles: A History of Penn State from the Pages of The Daily Collegian (1887-2006) was published by the Collegian Alumni Interest Group and edited by Marv Krasnansky in 2006. It includes a detailed history of Penn State life told by more than 90 former Collegian members, including editors, reporters and business managers. The film made official selection at multiple festivals, including the 2007 Philadelphia Film Festival.

Released and distributed in 2007, the documentary was filmed from 2004-2005 and followed the newspaper while Editor-in-Chief James Young ran the staff.

Cinematography for the film was done by Wayne De La Roche and the music was composed by Tim Nackashi.

Penn State had announced plans earlier in the year their plan to demolish the 100-year James Building located at 121-123 S. Burrowes St. and replace it with a $52.8 million building that, "Will serve as a hub for the Invent Penn State entrepreneurial and innovation initiative,".

The space The Collegian is slated to move to will be in a closed, 852-square-foot corner of its third floor. The private "Collegian Suite," will face a large open newsroom with designated desk space for the newspaper. However, some other student news organizations have been invited to utilize said newsroom as well.

In fall 2019, the James Building was demolished and The Collegian moved its office to Midtown Square, another university-owned property in downtown State College. The media center is scheduled for completion in fall 2020 and ready for student and faculty and students to begin working there in spring 2021.

Coronavirus

On January 24, 2020 Penn State announced it was monitoring an outbreak of COVID-19 as it began to spread inside of the United States. In February, Penn State restricted travel to China, Italy, and Japan, and required students returning from CDC level 3 threat countries to be quarantined. During Spring Break, on March 11, 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic was becoming a threat in the United States, Penn State canceled all in-person classes at its 20 campuses until at least April 3 which was later extended to the remainder of their spring and summer semesters. Students and faculty were asked to stay home, and away from campus because of the outbreak. The Print Edition of The Daily Collegian, printed bi-weekly, was suspended and all news coverage was posted digitally.

Newspaper Burning

In 1993, the paper criticized the Society for Professional Journalists after it offered a $250 reward for information on the persons who stole half a conservative campus newspaper's run, burning part of it. The Collegian said the thieves were engaging in constitutionally protected speech.

Collegian publications

  • The Daily Collegian

:The print newspaper publication is printed on Thursday to be circulated on Fridays while classes are in session in the fall and spring. No issues are published on the week of Thanksgiving or the week of spring break. The paper is distributed on the University Park campus. The paper mostly covers local, state, national and international events and news pertaining to Penn State as well as Penn State sports and opinion columns.

  • The Daily Collegian Online

:The Collegians website includes all content created for the outlet. This includes digital copies of the print edition, all articles published, video, photo, podcasts, as well as a searchable archive.

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| align="center"| American sportswriter who writes for Sports Illustrated, its online magazine SI.com, and is a reporter and commentator for Fox Major League Baseball and MLB Network

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Editors-in-Chief

† Resigned

The Daily Collegian

  • 2025— 2026: Mercedes Hamilton
  • 2024- 2025: Amy Schafer
  • 2023-2024: Nick Stonesifer
  • 2022-2023: Megan Swift
  • 2021-2022: Jade Campos
  • 2020-2021: Maddie Aiken
  • 2019-2020: Elena Rose
  • 2018-2019: Kelly Powers
  • 2017-2018: Sam Ruland
  • 2015-2016: Shannon Sweeney
  • 1943: Jane H. Murphy
  • 1938-1939: John A. Troanovitch
  • 1937-1938: Charles M. Wheeler Jr.
  • 1936-1937: Johnson Brenneman
  • 1935-1936: Harry B. Henderson Jr.
  • 1934-1935: John A. Brutzman
  • 1933-1934: Charles A. Myers
  • 1932-1933: Robert E. Tschan
  • 1931-1932: Hugh R. Riley Jr.
  • 1930-1931: William K. Ulerich
  • 1929-1930: James H. Coogan Jr.
  • 1927-1929: Louis H. Bell Jr.
  • 1926-1927: Wheeler Lord Jr.
  • 1926-1927: W. P. Reed
  • 1925-1926: H. W. Cohen
  • 1924-1925: W. L. Pratt
  • 1923-1924: E. E. Helm
  • 1922-1923: E. D. Schive
  • 1921-1922: A. G. Pratt
  • 1920-1921: Frederick H. Leuschner
  • 1919-1920: G. S. Wykoff
  • 1919: G. W. Sullivan
  • 1917-1918: D. M. Cresswell
  • 1916-1917: Edmund J. Kenney
  • 1915: D. McKay Jr.
  • 1914-1915: J. R. Mathers
  • 1913-1914: J. D. Hogarth
  • 1912-1913: R. M. Evans
  • 1911-1912: W. S. Kriebel Jr.

State Collegian

  • 1911: W. S. Kriebel Jr.
  • 1910-1911: C. MacC. Breitinger
  • 1909-1910: A. W. Fisher
  • 1907-1909: C. N. Fleming
  • 1906-1907: K. Little
  • 1905-1906: T. F. Foltzt
  • 1904-1905: Alex Hart
  • 1904: W. B. Hoke

The Free Lance

  • 1903-1904: E. K. McDowell
  • 1902-1903: F. H. Taylor
  • 1901-1902: J. E. Wagner
  • 1900-1901: H. H. Hanson
  • 1899-1900: F. T. Cole
  • 1899: William L. Affelder
  • 1898: George J. Yundt
  • 1897-1898: R. T. Strohm
  • 1896-1897: H. H. Allen
  • 1895-1896: H. A. Kuhn
  • 1894-1895: D. L. Patterson
  • 1893-1894: W. A. Silliman
  • 1892-1893: Geo R. Weiland
  • 1892: R. B. Mattern
  • 1891-1902: Nelson McA. Loyd
  • 1890-1891: Walter M. Camp
  • 1889-1890: George R. Meek
  • 1888-1889: Curtin G. Roop
  • 1888: Geo M. Downing
  • 1887: Griffith J. Thomas
  • 1887: William P. Fisher Jr.

Awards

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! colspan="3"| National Pacemaker Awards

|-

! Year !! Category !! Result

|-

| 2019 || Online Pacemaker || style="background:#dcdcdc" |Finalist

|-

| 2017 || Online Pacemaker || style="background:wheat;"|Winner

|-

| 2016 || Online Pacemaker || style="background:#dcdcdc" |Finalist

|-

| 2014 || Online Pacemaker || style="background:#dcdcdc" |Finalist

|-

| 2013 || Online Pacemaker || style="background:wheat;"|Winner

|-

| 2013 || Newspaper Pacemaker || style="background:wheat;"|Winner

|-

| 2012 || Newspaper Pacemaker || style="background:wheat;"|Winner

|-

| 2012 || Newspaper Pacemaker || style="background:#dcdcdc" |Finalist

|-

| 2010 || Online Pacemaker || style="background:#dcdcdc" |Finalist

|-

| 2010 || Newspaper Pacemaker || style="background:#dcdcdc" |Finalist

|-

| 2008 || Online Pacemaker || style="background:wheat;"|Winner

|-

| 2006 || Newspaper Pacemaker || style="background:#dcdcdc" |Finalist

|-

| 2001 || Newspaper Pacemaker || style="background:#dcdcdc" |Finalist

|-

| 2000 || Newspaper Pacemaker || style="background:#dcdcdc" |Finalist

|-

| 1999 || Newspaper Pacemaker || style="background:#dcdcdc" |Finalist

|-

| 1985 || Newspaper Pacemaker || style="background:wheat;"|Winner

|-

! colspan="3"| Sources:

|}

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! colspan="2"| CMA College Newspaper of the Year

|-

! Year !! Result

|-

| 2011-2012 || style="background:wheat;"|Winner

|-

! colspan="2"| Sources:

|}

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! colspan="3"| Princeton Review Best College Newspaper Ranking

|-

! Year !! Ranking

|-

| 2019 || 12th

|-

| 2017 || 4th

|-

| 2015 || style="background:tan;"|3rd

|-

| 2014 || style="background:tan;"|3rd

|-

| 2013 || 6th

|-

| 2012 || style="background:wheat;"|1st

|-

| 2011 || 6th

|-

| 2010 || 6th

|-

! colspan="2"| Sources:

|}

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! colspan="3"| Sigma Delta Chi Awards

|-

! Year !! Category !! Result

|-

| 1982 || Best Campus Paper || style="background:wheat;"|1st

|-

| 1968 || News writing || style="background:wheat;"|1st

|-

| 1968 || Sports Writing || style="background:#dcdcdc" |2nd

|-

| 1968 || Editorial Writing || style="background:tan;"|3rd

|-

| 1966 || Sports Writing || style="background:wheat;"|1st

|-

| 1966 || News Writing || style="background:#dcdcdc" |2nd

|-

| 1959 || Sports Writing || style="background:wheat;"|1st

|-

! colspan="3"| Sources:

|}

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! colspan="4"| College Newspaper Business Advertising Managers Awards

|-

! Year !! Category !! Recipient !! Place

|-

| 1987 || Advertising Sales Manager of the Year || Dave Profozich || style="background:wheat;"|Winner

|-

| 1987 || Classified Section || Staff || style="background:wheat;"|First

|-

| 1987 || Office Administration Materials || Staff || style="background:wheat;"|First

|-

| 1980 || Trendsetter Award || Staff || style="background:wheat;"|Winner

|-

! colspan="4"| Sources:

|}

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! colspan="2"| College Newspaper Business Advertising Managers Awards

|-

! Year !! Place

|-

| 1919 || style="background:wheat;"|1st

|-

| 1920 || style="background:tan;"|3rd

|-

! colspan="2"| Sources:

|}

References

  • Official website