Behind the scenes of campus media

Ever fancied a career in journalism, TV or radio? If so, you're in the right place.

With two newpapers, a radio station, a TV channel and 24/7 news website, York's campus is best described as saturated with student media. In light of the upcoming Guardian Student Media Awards, in which York has always featured prominently, scooping seven of the thirteen awards last year, The Yorker takes a peek behind the scenes of our own vibrant, award-winning media.

Nouse

Nouse was founded in 1964 by Nigel Fountain as the University of York's very first newspaper. It is sometimes described as the more upmarket publication in comparison to its rival Vision. It is released three times per term and has a readership of 10,000. The name is derived from the Greek Nous, and plays on the homonymous "news" and the river Ouse.

Nouse has undergone many changes throughout its history. It was known as the Nouse Co-operative or Nousecoop at one point and presented itself as a samizdat publication during the 1980s. Famous contributors include Greg Dyke, who wrote a column called "Gryke" in the early 1970s and the late labour MP Tony Banks who wrote for Nouse in its early years.

In recent years, Nouse has not only become one of the largest media societies on campus, but has been nominated for several awards. Last year, former editor Heidi Blake won three awards including the top prize of student journalist of the year, and the feature writing award. This year, it is the only publication to be nominated in three categories for the Guardian Student Media Awards.

Vision

York Vision started life as York Student Vision in 1987, a rival to the already well-established Nouse which was founded some 20 years earlier. Published three times each term in tabloid format, Vision is known for its Lifestyle section and Arts magazine ‘The Scene’, established in 2006 when the paper was relaunched as a ‘designer tabloid’.

During its lifespan, York Vision has received many awards. Most famously, it secured the Guardian Student Newspaper of the year award three years in a row between 2002 and 2004, as well as being awarded the NUS Small Budget Publication of the Year in 2006, before regaining the Guardian Student Newspaper title once again in 2007. Covering numerous York news stories, York Vision has also published top interviews with a range of celebrities including tennis star Andy Murray, politician Trevor Phillips OBE, as well as the bands Babyshambles, Razorlight and The Gossip. York Vision was also the first newspaper to launch a Facebook application, where it has published podcast collaborations with URY and gives York students the latest gossip on an active news feed.

URY

Broadcast on 1350AM an impressive ‘24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 30 weeks a year’, URY is approaching its 40th anniversary. URY channels music, news and events straight into the ears of York students.

Starting life as Radio York, URY was the vision of alumnus Mike Greasley, who was first granted a test licence for the station in 1967. Successfully relaunched in 1969 with guest broadcaster BBC Radio One DJ John Peel, URY was the UK’s first legal radio station independent of the BBC. The first transmitter was also alleged to have been famously involved in World War Two to liberate Europe. From the 4th to the 31st October 1998, URY was granted an RSL (Restricted Site Licence) which allowed it to broadcast on FM Radio; one transmission even involved the SU President participating in a cheese grating competition. URY was also invited to broadcast on BBC Radio One to celebrate its achievement of the BBC Radio One Student Station of the Year award in 2005. Over the years URY has covered almost every university event: YUSU elections, Roses, RAG Parade, Woodstock, as well as creating its own URY Band Aid in 2004 and establishing the URYvision song contest. Most recently URY covered international news, broadcasting a special 12 hour show in honour of the US elections.

YSTV

York Student Television, now in its 41st year, is the longest-running student television station in England (and second longest in the UK). It has won countless awards, and was the first student TV station to broadcast live 24/7 on the internet. The television station is in Goodricke, and has a fully functioning control room and studio.

Every week YSTV produces live and pre-recorded shows, including cookery, news, chat and quiz shows, featuring interviews with bands, politicians and celebrities. YSTV broadcast the whole of Battle of the Bands, the YUSU elections and Woodstock, allowing people to watch the events from the comfort of their own rooms. Last year YSTV won the National Student Television Award for Best Live Show for their four hour live broadcast for Children in Need. Still not convinced? Then you can watch all the shows live or on demand on the website.

The Yorker

What began as the idea of two students, journalist Daniel Ashby and computer scientist Nick Evans, grew from its beginnings in 2006 into the University of York's largest student-run company and charity, with over 120 members and contributing writers. The Yorker, a website and student company independent from YUSU, provides news, features, comments, reviews and more. It is also the only purely online media outlet on campus, and in 2007, within four months of launching, The Yorker was nominated for the Guardian Student Media Awards for Best Website.

And More...!

But that's not all... Look out for Bad Taste, a lifestyle magazine which produces a forty-page glossy edition each term; The Zahir, a more academic, philosophy-oriented publication, and Word Salad and Art Chips, a creative writing journal.

Whether you enjoy writing, editing, broadcasting or producing, there are a million ways to get involved in journalism on campus and even more ways to engage in York's friendly rivalry.

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