The Beaver
Encyclopedia
The Beaver is the weekly newspaper of the London School of Economics Students' Union at the LSE
.
Despite being published by the Students' Union, The Beaver is independent in its reporting.
2,000 copies are published and distributed free of charge every Tuesday during term time. The Beaver is governed by the Collective, a body of around 150 students who have contributed three or more written pieces or photographs to the paper. The Collective democratically elects all of the paper's editorial staff. The paper is one of the UK's most active student publications and counts itself among those at the forefront of student issues and campaigns. Unlike many other student publications, The Beaver does not have a paid full-time sabbatical editor or indeed any paid members of staff.
The paper is made up of sections for News, Comment, Features, Social and Sport, as well as an arts and culture supplement, PartB.
.
In December 2005, The Beavers coverage of the infamous LSE Athletics Union 'Barrel Run' was picked up by news organisations around the world. 200 drunken students trashed nearby King's College
, causing tens of thousands of pounds in damage. The Beaver beat police to the scene, obtaining exclusive photos and information on those responsible.
Other prominent news organisations to use The Beavers photos and coverage include: the BBC, The Times, The Mirror, The Guardian, The Metro, The Evening Standard, The Times of India, and the South China Morning Post
.
Coverage of the university's links to the Gaddafi government was picked up by newspapers across the world.
A recent interview with Jonathan Powell, chief of staff to Tony Blair
, was referenced in Hugh Muir's Guardian
column, Diary.
, Gerald Scarfe
, M83
, Nigel Slater
, Stewart Lee
, and Nick Heyward
of Haircut 100.
The following year, PartB was shortlisted for Best Student Magazine in the Guardian Student Media Awards
.
In 2000, The Beavers James Mythen won Sports Writer of the Year at the Guardian Student Media Awards
.
holds archives of the paper dating back to this first issue, which was christened by George Bernard Shaw
, one of the LSE
's founding fathers. Since then it has gone through several makeovers, survived LSE
's turbulent history and emerged to be one of the most respected and widely read student newspapers in the UK.
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
.
Despite being published by the Students' Union, The Beaver is independent in its reporting.
2,000 copies are published and distributed free of charge every Tuesday during term time. The Beaver is governed by the Collective, a body of around 150 students who have contributed three or more written pieces or photographs to the paper. The Collective democratically elects all of the paper's editorial staff. The paper is one of the UK's most active student publications and counts itself among those at the forefront of student issues and campaigns. Unlike many other student publications, The Beaver does not have a paid full-time sabbatical editor or indeed any paid members of staff.
The paper is made up of sections for News, Comment, Features, Social and Sport, as well as an arts and culture supplement, PartB.
News
The Beavers news section is among the strongest in UK student media, consisting of LSE, University of London and Higher Education stories from across Britain, frequently being quoted in the national press. A recent example concerned the story of the LSE Council having discussed the option of privatisation, which was subsequently reported by a number of national newspapers including The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
.
In December 2005, The Beavers coverage of the infamous LSE Athletics Union 'Barrel Run' was picked up by news organisations around the world. 200 drunken students trashed nearby King's College
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
, causing tens of thousands of pounds in damage. The Beaver beat police to the scene, obtaining exclusive photos and information on those responsible.
Other prominent news organisations to use The Beavers photos and coverage include: the BBC, The Times, The Mirror, The Guardian, The Metro, The Evening Standard, The Times of India, and the South China Morning Post
South China Morning Post
The South China Morning Post , together with its Sunday edition, the Sunday Morning Post, is an English-language Hong Kong newspaper, published by the SCMP Group with a circulation of 104,000....
.
Coverage of the university's links to the Gaddafi government was picked up by newspapers across the world.
Comment
Comment publishes opinion pieces discussing issues that are relevant to the LSE community, regardless of whether they have wider social or political implications. Letters to the editor are also published, and the extensive range of articles and letters featured reflects the broad readership of the paper. Contributions to the Comment section have been wide-ranging and varied, and contributors have ranged from former LSE Director Sir Howard Davies to lay students.Features
Features deals with international relations, global politics, business and science articles. Regular features include "What If...?", a counterfactual history column, and "London Luddite", which explores scientific developments from the perspective of a comparative novice. It also conducts interviews with leading figures such as Sir Nicholas Stern and Queen Noor of Jordan.A recent interview with Jonathan Powell, chief of staff to Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
, was referenced in Hugh Muir's Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
column, Diary.
PartB
Launched in 2005, PartB is The Beavers arts and culture supplement. It contains sections dedicated to music, film, literature, theatre, fashion, visual arts, food, television and satire. It regularly contains interviews with prominent cultural figures as diverse as Alan BennettAlan Bennett
Alan Bennett is a British playwright, screenwriter, actor and author. Born in Leeds, he attended Oxford University where he studied history and performed with The Oxford Revue. He stayed to teach and research mediaeval history at the university for several years...
, Gerald Scarfe
Gerald Scarfe
Gerald Anthony Scarfe, CBE, RDI, is an English cartoonist and illustrator. He worked as editorial cartoonist for The Sunday Times and illustrator for The New Yorker...
, M83
M83 (band)
M83 is a musical act by French musician Anthony Gonzalez. It is named after a spiral galaxy, Messier 83. The band was founded in 2001 by Gonzalez and former member Nicolas Fromageau in Antibes, France...
, Nigel Slater
Nigel Slater
Nigel Slater is an English food writer, journalist and broadcaster. He has written a column for The Observer Magazine for over a decade and is the principal writer for the Observer Food Monthly supplement. Prior to this, Slater was food writer for Marie Claire for five years...
, Stewart Lee
Stewart Lee
Stewart Lee is an English stand-up comedian, writer and director known for being one half of the 1990s comedy duo Lee and Herring, and for co-writing and directing the critically acclaimed and controversial stage show Jerry Springer - The Opera...
, and Nick Heyward
Nick Heyward
Nick Heyward is an English singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for being the frontman of the early 1980s band Haircut One Hundred, and also had a briefly successful solo career after he left the band in 1983.-Haircut One Hundred:Nick Heyward formed Haircut One Hundred after the...
of Haircut 100.
The following year, PartB was shortlisted for Best Student Magazine in the Guardian Student Media Awards
Guardian Student Media Awards
The Guardian Student Media Awards are an annual UK-wide student journalism competition run by The Guardian newspaper.-History:Since 1947, The National Union of Students have run a student journalism competition of some kind. In 1978, The Guardian joined forces with the NUS for the inaugural...
.
Sports
The Sports section contains a mixture of match reports from LSE teams and comment on world sports. Has courted controversy in the past with its traditionally dismissive approach to the sporting efforts of rival universities. Highlight of the year was traditionally the last Sports section before Christmas, containing photos of the Athletic Union Barrel. This caused particular controversy under the Sports Editorship of Sam Lehmann, after printing a photo of LSE Director at the event which ended up causing considerable damage to King's Strand campus in December 2005.In 2000, The Beavers James Mythen won Sports Writer of the Year at the Guardian Student Media Awards
Guardian Student Media Awards
The Guardian Student Media Awards are an annual UK-wide student journalism competition run by The Guardian newspaper.-History:Since 1947, The National Union of Students have run a student journalism competition of some kind. In 1978, The Guardian joined forces with the NUS for the inaugural...
.
History
Named after the School's mascot, the Beaver, which was apparently chosen “as representing an industrious animal with social habits”, The Beaver was first published in its recognised format on 5 May 1949. The British Library of Political and Economic ScienceBritish Library of Political and Economic Science
The British Library of Political and Economic Science is the main library of theLondon School of Economics and Political Science, and the world's largest political and social sciences library .-Description:...
holds archives of the paper dating back to this first issue, which was christened by George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics. Although his first profitable writing was music and literary criticism, in which capacity he wrote many highly articulate pieces of journalism, his main talent was for drama, and he wrote more than 60...
, one of the LSE
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
's founding fathers. Since then it has gone through several makeovers, survived LSE
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
's turbulent history and emerged to be one of the most respected and widely read student newspapers in the UK.
Notable former contributors
- Richard BaconRichard Bacon (politician)Richard Michael Bacon is a British Conservative Party politician and the Member of Parliament for the South Norfolk constituency.-Early life:...
- former Executive Editor, now Conservative Member of Parliament for Norfolk SouthNorfolk SouthNorfolk South may refer to:* Norfolk South * South Norfolk... - James Corbett - former political editor, now contributing editor of The ObserverThe ObserverThe Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
Sport Monthly and author of Everton: The School of Science and England Expects - Ekow EshunEkow EshunEkow Eshun is a British writer, journalist, and broadcaster. Until November 2010 he was the artistic director of the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, leaving before the end of his six month notice period. He is a contributor to BBC2's Friday night arts programme Newsnight Review and a...
- edited both Features and Arts. Now the Artistic Director of the Institute of Contemporary Arts, and a contributor to BBC2's Newsnight Review - Simon GarfieldSimon GarfieldSimon Frank Garfield is a British journalist and non-fiction author. He was educated at the independent University College School in Hampstead, London, and the London School of Economics, where he was the Executive Editor of The Beaver....
- former Executive Editor. Now journalist and author of "Mauve" and "Our Hidden Lives" - Stephen F. Kelly - contributor, then producer Granada Television, now author and broadcaster
- Paul KlebnikovPaul KlebnikovPaul Klebnikov was a Russian-American journalist and historian of Russian history. He worked for Forbes Magazine for over 10 years and at the time of his death was Chief editor of the Russian edition. His murder in Moscow in 2004 was seen as a blow against investigative journalism in Russia...
- former editor. First editor of ForbesForbesForbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
' Russian edition, was shot dead on a MoscowMoscowMoscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
street late at night on July 9, 2004 by unknown assailants - Bernard LevinBernard LevinHenry Bernard Levin CBE was an English journalist, author and broadcaster, described by The Times as "the most famous journalist of his day". The son of a poor Jewish family in London, he won a scholarship to the independent school Christ's Hospital and went on to the London School of Economics,...
- early contributor to the newspaper, particularly of theatre reviews. - John StathatosJohn StathatosJohn Stathatos , Greek photographer and writer. Based in London, 1970s-1990s, where he studied at the London School of Economics and was Executive Editor of the student newspaper, The Beaver as well as Editor of two issues of Clare Market Review...
- former Executive Editor, is a photographer, writer and art critic whose publications include The Book of Lost Cities and A Vindication of Tlon: Photography & the Fantastic - Justin WebbJustin WebbJustin Oliver Webb is a British journalist who has worked for the BBC since 1984. Since August 2009, he has presented on the Today programme.-Early life:...
- former editor. Was the BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's chief Washington correspondent, now presents the Today programmeToday programmeToday is BBC Radio 4's long-running early morning news and current affairs programme, now broadcast from 6.00 am to 9.00 am Monday to Friday, and 7.00 am to 9.00 am on Saturdays. It is also the most popular programme on Radio 4 and one of the BBC's most popular programmes across its radio networks...
on BBC Radio 4
Former executive editors
- 2010-2011 Sachin Patel
- 2009-2010 Shibani Mahtani
- 2008-2009 Joseph Cotterill
- 2007-2008 Kevin E.G. Perry
- 2006-2007 Sidhanth Kamath
- 2005-2006 Samuel Gad Jones
- 2004-2005 Prashant Rao
- 2003-2004 Mark Power
- 2002-2003 Ibrahim Rasheed
- 2001-2002 Charlie Jurd; Tom Whitaker; Catherine Baker; Iain Bundred
- 2000-2001 Chris Wills
- 1999-2000 Ian David Curry; Mukul Devichand
- 1999 Daniel Lewis
- 1998 Matt Brough
- 1997 Craig Newsome
- 1996 Nicola Hobday; Liz Chong
- 1995 Rachel Cuthbert; Susha Lee-Shothaman
- 1993-1995 Ronald Voce
- 1993 Kevin Green
- 1992-1993 Neil Andrews
- 1991 Simon William; Sarah Eglin; Madeline Gwyon
- 1990 Edward Bannerman; Simon Williams
- 1989 Thomas D.G. Parker; Christopher Flook
- 1988 Mark Moscher; Stavros Makris; Benjamin Charles Gilbey
- 1987 Alexander Crawford; Sivan Lewin
- 1986 Nina Kaufman; Nick Holmes; Haider Ali; Paul KlebnikovPaul KlebnikovPaul Klebnikov was a Russian-American journalist and historian of Russian history. He worked for Forbes Magazine for over 10 years and at the time of his death was Chief editor of the Russian edition. His murder in Moscow in 2004 was seen as a blow against investigative journalism in Russia...
- 1985 Giles Perritt; Gilli Weedon; Ed Richards
- 1984 Iqbal Wahhab; Irene Nyborg-Anderson; Eleanor Edwards; Lucy Cohen
- 1983 Richard BaconRichard Bacon (politician)Richard Michael Bacon is a British Conservative Party politician and the Member of Parliament for the South Norfolk constituency.-Early life:...
; Jim McCallum - 1982 Chris Collet; Penny Marshall; Matthew Price
- 1981 Colin Bates; Margaret Cameron-Waller
- 1980 Simon Garfield; Keir Hopley
- 1979 Ylva Jenkins & Steve Mogano
- 1978 Ed Walker & Carol Saunders
- 1977 Martin Peacock & Carol Saunders
- 1976 Anton Chapman
- 1974 Peter Trimmins
- 1973 Rosie Hurst; G. Foy
- 1972 Stephen F. Kelly
- 1971 Elisabeth Faulkner; John StathatosJohn StathatosJohn Stathatos , Greek photographer and writer. Based in London, 1970s-1990s, where he studied at the London School of Economics and was Executive Editor of the student newspaper, The Beaver as well as Editor of two issues of Clare Market Review...
- 1970 Martha Greenyer
- 1968 Alison Barlow; Lynn McCann
- 1967 James Wickham; Nigel Bowen; Gus Ullsterin
- 1966 David Baume; Alex Finer; Frank Mansfield; Jerry Pastor
- 1965 Tim Gopsill; Rick Upson; Jon Smith
- 1964 Stan Fischer; Brian Soddy
- 1963 David Mills
- 1962 Mike Cunningham; Mark Harris; Graham Murray
- 1961 Richard Stevenson; Kishore Bhimani
- 1960 Brian Levy; Don Esslemont
- 1959 Nedis Demetrakos; Demetrios Demetrakos
- 1958 Brian Steward; Paul Sithi-Amnuai
- 1957 David Watkins
- 1956 John S. Sidle; Derek Shaw
- 1955 Marguerite Watkins; Malcolm R. Ross
- 1954 Roland Freeman; C. Ian Jackson
- 1953 John M. Dunkley; Sander Rubin
- 1950 Brian Morton-Smith
- 1949 Charles R. Stuart
External links
- The Beaver Online
- PartB Online