The Steel Press
Encyclopedia
Sheffield Steel Press is the former name of the University of Sheffield
's student newspaper
. It was rebranded in 2008 to 'Forge Press'. Published fortnightly during term-time by a team of over 200 student volunteers, the paper has a circulation of 5,000 and is distributed free across campus and the surrounding student area to a projected readership of 15,000–20,000.
has a history of student journalism that predates its inception as a University when it received its charter in 1905.
Following World War II
, a new newspaper was set up at the University called Darts, The name stemmed from a sister arts publication, Arrows, which had been around since the 1930s, with the new venture was seen as a smaller entity than its sibling - a dart being a sort of miniature arrow. (The paper was ultimately to outlive its brethren, which closed in the late 1980s.)
In the 1997/98 academic year a new editorial team took charge of Darts and decided to change the name.
On 28 November 1997 the newly rebranded Steel Press was unveiled. In style the paper was not particularly different from what had come before, yet over the following nine years underwent many changes. Ranging in appearance from something not dissimilar to the Daily Express
to its eventual appearance as the Daily Mirror of student publications, the Sheffield Steel Press as it was known (Sheffield Steel as it appeared on the cover) continued to provide a proving ground for young journalists hoping for a career in the media or simply looking for an interesting diversion during their time at the University of Sheffield
.
In 2008, Sheffield Steel Press merged with Sure Radio and the website to make a fully converged student media called Forge Media. This consists of the newspaper Forge Press, Forge Radio and ForgeToday.com, as well as the more recent Forge TV.
The editorial team consists of usually two co-editors for each section, but some have one or three. The team is elected at the Annual General Meeting before Easter of each year, and takes over the running of the paper for the last issue of the academic year.
The various sections of the paper are: News, Comment, Features, Sport, Lifestyle and Fuse - the entertainment section covering Music, Film, Arts and Games.
Skills required of an editor range from management of teams of volunteers, to page layout and graphic design using programs such as Adobe InDesign and Adobe Photoshop.
Since 2003 the University of Sheffield Union of Students
has employed a non-student in a support role which holds no editorial power and is designed to aid the day to day running of the organisation. In 2006 this role was expanded, retitled to 'Media Development Officer', to support all student media and any student or society who wants to use the Media Hub facilities. This role was held by Robert Ellerington from 2006 to 2010. Robert was succeeded by former Radio 1 DJ Mary Anne Hobbs
in October 2010, who in turn was succeeded by Mikey Smith in September 2011 after her return to broadcasting with XFM
.
(Until 2003 the newspaper had two or three editors, elected on a half-year basis, taking it in turns to act as 'Editor-in-Chief')
University of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
's student newspaper
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....
. It was rebranded in 2008 to 'Forge Press'. Published fortnightly during term-time by a team of over 200 student volunteers, the paper has a circulation of 5,000 and is distributed free across campus and the surrounding student area to a projected readership of 15,000–20,000.
History
The University of SheffieldUniversity of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
has a history of student journalism that predates its inception as a University when it received its charter in 1905.
Following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, a new newspaper was set up at the University called Darts, The name stemmed from a sister arts publication, Arrows, which had been around since the 1930s, with the new venture was seen as a smaller entity than its sibling - a dart being a sort of miniature arrow. (The paper was ultimately to outlive its brethren, which closed in the late 1980s.)
In the 1997/98 academic year a new editorial team took charge of Darts and decided to change the name.
On 28 November 1997 the newly rebranded Steel Press was unveiled. In style the paper was not particularly different from what had come before, yet over the following nine years underwent many changes. Ranging in appearance from something not dissimilar to the Daily Express
Daily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
to its eventual appearance as the Daily Mirror of student publications, the Sheffield Steel Press as it was known (Sheffield Steel as it appeared on the cover) continued to provide a proving ground for young journalists hoping for a career in the media or simply looking for an interesting diversion during their time at the University of Sheffield
University of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
.
In 2008, Sheffield Steel Press merged with Sure Radio and the website to make a fully converged student media called Forge Media. This consists of the newspaper Forge Press, Forge Radio and ForgeToday.com, as well as the more recent Forge TV.
Organisation
The organisation's Editor is an unpaid position for a current student. The position is currently held by Matt Burgess, whose first issue was published on 9 May 2011.The editorial team consists of usually two co-editors for each section, but some have one or three. The team is elected at the Annual General Meeting before Easter of each year, and takes over the running of the paper for the last issue of the academic year.
The various sections of the paper are: News, Comment, Features, Sport, Lifestyle and Fuse - the entertainment section covering Music, Film, Arts and Games.
Skills required of an editor range from management of teams of volunteers, to page layout and graphic design using programs such as Adobe InDesign and Adobe Photoshop.
Since 2003 the University of Sheffield Union of Students
University of Sheffield Union of Students
-Aims:Its mission is to act in the interests of all our members and has a vision to be the outstanding student-led organisation in the UK. It was also voted best Higher Education Students' Union in the country at the first ever NUS awards ceremony in 2008....
has employed a non-student in a support role which holds no editorial power and is designed to aid the day to day running of the organisation. In 2006 this role was expanded, retitled to 'Media Development Officer', to support all student media and any student or society who wants to use the Media Hub facilities. This role was held by Robert Ellerington from 2006 to 2010. Robert was succeeded by former Radio 1 DJ Mary Anne Hobbs
Mary Anne Hobbs
Mary Anne Hobbs is an English DJ and music journalist from Garstang, Lancashire. She launched a new Primetime show on Xfm on 9 July 2011-Early career:...
in October 2010, who in turn was succeeded by Mikey Smith in September 2011 after her return to broadcasting with XFM
Xfm
Xfm is a brand of two commercial radio stations focused on alternative music, primarily indie pop, and owned by Global Radio.-History:Xfm was created in London in 1992 by Sammy Jacob, who later co-founded NME Radio in 2008. Xfm subsequently expanded to a network of four stations; there are...
.
Awards
- 2011
- Guardian Student Media AwardsGuardian Student Media AwardsThe 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...
- Nominated - Student Reporter of the Year (Mikey Smith)
- NUS Awards
- Nominated - Best Student Media
- Nominated - Student Journalist of the Year (Matt Burgess)
- Guardian Student Media Awards
- 2010
- NUJ Regional Press Awards
- Won - Student Journalist of the Year (Rosie Taylor)
- NCTJ Awards for Excellence in Journalism
- Won - Student News Journalist of the Year (Leanne Rinne)
- NUS Awards
- Runner Up - Student Journalist of the Year (Rosie Taylor)
- NUJ Regional Press Awards
- 2009
- Guardian Student Media AwardsGuardian Student Media AwardsThe 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...
- Nominated - Student Newspaper of the Year
- Nominated - Student Feature Writer of the Year (Paul Garbett)
- NUS Awards
- Runner Up - Best Student Media
- Highly Commended - Student Journalist of the Year (Robert Golledge)
- Guardian Student Media Awards
- 2008
- Guardian Student Media AwardsGuardian Student Media AwardsThe 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...
- Nominated - Student Sports Writer of the Year (Paul Garbett)
- Guardian Student Media Awards
- 2007
- Guardian Student Media AwardsGuardian Student Media AwardsThe 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...
- Nominated - Student Newspaper of the Year
- Nominated - Student Website of the Year (ShefSteel.com)
- Nominated - Student Sports Writer of the Year (Dom Howson)
- Nominated - Student Feature Writer of the Year (Emeka Ene)
- Guardian Student Media Awards
- 2006
- NUS/Press Association National Student Journalism AwardsNational Student Journalism AwardsThe National Student Journalism Awards are an annual UK-wide student journalism competition organised by the National Union of Students of the United Kingdom .- History :...
- Winner - Best Student Newspaper
- Guardian Student Media AwardsGuardian Student Media AwardsThe 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...
- Runner Up - Student Newspaper of the Year
- Winner - Student Reporter of the Year (Felicity Hay)
- Press Gazette Student Journalism Awards
- Winner - Student Journalist of the Year (Felicity Hay)
- Winner - Student Reporter of the Year (Felicity Hay)
- NUS/Press Association National Student Journalism Awards
- 2004
- NUS/Mirror National Student Journalism AwardsNational Student Journalism AwardsThe National Student Journalism Awards are an annual UK-wide student journalism competition organised by the National Union of Students of the United Kingdom .- History :...
- Winner - Diversity Award (Jenna Sloan)
- Runner Up - Best Student Feature Writer (Jenna Sloan)
- NUS/Mirror National Student Journalism Awards
- 2002
- Guardian Student Media AwardsGuardian Student Media AwardsThe 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...
- Winner - Student Journalist of the Year (Alice Tarleton)
- Winner - Student Feature Writer of the Year (Matt Withers)
- Winner - Student Travel Writer of the Year (Alice Tarleton)
- Runner Up - Student Sports Writer of the Year (Rob Preece)
- Guardian Student Media Awards
- 2001
- Guardian Student Media AwardsGuardian Student Media AwardsThe 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...
- Winner - Student Journalist of the Year (Faisal Al Yafai)
- Winner - Student Reporter of the Year (Alice Tarleton)
- Winner - Student Diversity Writer of the Year (Faisal Al Yafai)
- Winner - Student Travel Writer of the Year (David Whitley)
- Runner Up - Student Sports Writer of the Year (John Brenan)
- Guardian Student Media Awards
- 2000
- Guardian Student Media AwardsGuardian Student Media AwardsThe 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...
- Winner - Student Newspaper of the Year
- Winner - Student Reporter of the Year (Guy Adams)
- Winner - Student Diversity Writer of the Year (Faisal Al Yafai)
- Guardian Student Media Awards
- 1999
- Guardian Student Media AwardsGuardian Student Media AwardsThe 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...
- Winner - Student Reporter of the Year (Guy Adams)
- Guardian Student Media Awards
Recent editors
- 2011/12: Matt Burgess
- 2010/11: Helen Lawson
- 2009/10: Robert Golledge
- 2008/09: Ciaran Jones
- 2007/08: Kathryn Rogerson
- 2006/07: Michael Pink or Brown
- 2005/06: Felicity Hay
- 2004/05: Sonya Bell
- 2003/04: Laura Compton/Stuart Robarts/Dave Murphy/James Barrett/John Gripton
(Until 2003 the newspaper had two or three editors, elected on a half-year basis, taking it in turns to act as 'Editor-in-Chief')
- 2002: Jon Enoch/Jenna Sloan
- 2001 (Second half): John Brenan/Victoria Davies/Alice Tarleton
- 2001 (First half): John Brenan/Alice Tarleton/Jan Webster
- 2000 (Second half): Nadia Brooks/Nick Sharpe/Jan Webster
- 2000 (First half): Paul French/Nick Sharpe/Matt Withers
- 1999 (Second half): Guy Adams/Sam Thomson/David Whitley
- 1999 (First half): Guy Adams/Adam Bennett/Emma Sneddon
- 1998 (Second half): Dylan Jane/David Stringer/Adele Taylor