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Catalyst (magazine)
Encyclopedia
Catalyst is a student magazine
published at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
in Melbourne
, Australia
. The magazine
is produced by the RMIT Student Union
.
Catalyst appears eight times a year and has a readership of approximately 58,000 in 2009 - up from 15,000 in 2004.
The implementation of voluntary student unionism
in 2006 had a significant impact on the viability of student newspapers across Australia, compulsory student union
membership fees having been the major source of income for most. Today, Catalyst's funding is drawn jointly from the university and advertising revenue.
Catalyst benefits from its proximity to the RMIT School of Media and Communication
, which runs a highly-regarded journalism program. In turn Catalyst alumni are active in the Australian media.
The first edition of Catalyst, published by what was known then as the RMIT Students’ Representative Council (later RMIT Student Union
) appeared on 18 May 1944. Editions have also appeared under the names Revolution Catalyst and The Unaustralian.
Prior to funding losses, due to the onset of Voluntary Student Unionism, a womyn
's edition called Havoc, a queer
edition called Mutiny and an environment edition called Eccocentric were also published, between 1995 and 1998.
Recent former editors of Catalyst include journalists Dewi Cooke, Dan Harrison (both now with The Age
) and Elizabeth Gallagher
. The logo and general style of Catalyst often changes dramatically each year, when a new editorial team takes over.
, its La Trobe University
counterpart, entitled The Art of Shoplifting – one of seven student newspapers to do so. Although the Rabelais editors responsible for the original article were prosecuted for ignoring the ban on its publication issued by the state's Chief Censor; the editors of the other seven newspapers were not targeted by the authorities. Charges against the Rabelais editors were later dropped.
Student newspaper
A student newspaper is a newspaper run by students of a university, high school, middle school, or other school. These papers traditionally cover local and, primarily, school or university news....
published at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
RMIT University
RMIT University is an Australian public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. It has two branches, referred to as RMIT University in Australia and RMIT International University in Vietnam....
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
is produced by the RMIT Student Union
RMIT Student Union
The RMIT Student Union Council, commonly known as the RMIT Student Union or RUSU, is the representative body for all students enrolled at RMITUniversity...
.
Catalyst appears eight times a year and has a readership of approximately 58,000 in 2009 - up from 15,000 in 2004.
The implementation of voluntary student unionism
Voluntary student unionism
Voluntary student unionism is a policy, notable in Australia, under which membership of – and payment of membership fees to – university student organisations is voluntary....
in 2006 had a significant impact on the viability of student newspapers across Australia, compulsory student union
Students' union
A students' union, student government, student senate, students' association, guild of students or government of student body is a student organization present in many colleges and universities, and has started appearing in some high schools...
membership fees having been the major source of income for most. Today, Catalyst's funding is drawn jointly from the university and advertising revenue.
Catalyst benefits from its proximity to the RMIT School of Media and Communication
RMIT School of Media and Communication
The RMIT School of Media and Communication is an Australian tertiary school within the College of Design and Social Context of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology , located in Melbourne, Victoria....
, which runs a highly-regarded journalism program. In turn Catalyst alumni are active in the Australian media.
The first edition of Catalyst, published by what was known then as the RMIT Students’ Representative Council (later RMIT Student Union
RMIT Student Union
The RMIT Student Union Council, commonly known as the RMIT Student Union or RUSU, is the representative body for all students enrolled at RMITUniversity...
) appeared on 18 May 1944. Editions have also appeared under the names Revolution Catalyst and The Unaustralian.
Prior to funding losses, due to the onset of Voluntary Student Unionism, a womyn
Womyn
"Womyn" is one of a number of alternative spellings of the word "women" used by some feminist writers. There are many alternative spellings, including "wimmin", "womban", "wom!n"...
's edition called Havoc, a queer
Queer
Queer is an umbrella term for sexual minorities that are not heterosexual, heteronormative, or gender-binary. In the context of Western identity politics the term also acts as a label setting queer-identifying people apart from discourse, ideologies, and lifestyles that typify mainstream LGBT ...
edition called Mutiny and an environment edition called Eccocentric were also published, between 1995 and 1998.
Recent former editors of Catalyst include journalists Dewi Cooke, Dan Harrison (both now with The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
) and Elizabeth Gallagher
Elizabeth Gallagher
Elizabeth Gallagher was an American painter, illustrator, and author of children's books, including Spaghetti Betty and Skinny Minny, based on her comic of the same name that ran in the Chicago Tribune, the Philadelphia Bulletin, and the Washington Post during the 1960s.-Personal life:Born on June...
. The logo and general style of Catalyst often changes dramatically each year, when a new editorial team takes over.
Art of Shoplifting controversy
In 1995, Catalyst reprinted a controversial article from Rabelais Student MediaRabelais Student Media
Rabelais Student Media is a student newspaper at La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia, named for French Renaissance writer François Rabelais....
, its La Trobe University
La Trobe University
La Trobe University is a multi-campus university in Victoria, Australia. It was established in 1964 by an Act of Parliament to become the third oldest university in the state of Victoria. The main campus of La Trobe is located in the Melbourne suburb of Bundoora; two other major campuses are...
counterpart, entitled The Art of Shoplifting – one of seven student newspapers to do so. Although the Rabelais editors responsible for the original article were prosecuted for ignoring the ban on its publication issued by the state's Chief Censor; the editors of the other seven newspapers were not targeted by the authorities. Charges against the Rabelais editors were later dropped.