The Diamondback

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University of Maryland student newspaper

title: "The Diamondback" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["student-newspapers-published-in-maryland", "university-of-maryland,-college-park", "university-of-maryland,-college-park-student-organizations", "newspapers-established-in-1909", "1909-establishments-in-maryland"] description: "University of Maryland student newspaper" topic_path: "society/education" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Diamondback" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary University of Maryland student newspaper ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox newspaper"]

FieldValue
nameThe Diamondback
logoThe Diamondback logo.svg
imageDiamondback newspaper.jpg
image_size250px
image_borderyes
image_altFront page of the newspaper
captionThe Diamondback front page, May 13, 2019
typeWeekly student newspaper
ownersMaryland Media, Inc.
formatBroadsheet
founded1909
headquartersCollege Park, Maryland, United States
website
languageEnglish
::

| name = The Diamondback | logo = The Diamondback logo.svg | image = Diamondback newspaper.jpg | image_size = 250px | image_border = yes | image_alt = Front page of the newspaper | caption = The Diamondback front page, May 13, 2019 | type = Weekly student newspaper | owners = Maryland Media, Inc. | format = Broadsheet | founded = 1909 | headquarters = College Park, Maryland, United States | website = | language = English

The Diamondback is an independent student newspaper associated with the University of Maryland, College Park. It began in 1910 as The Triangle and became known as The Diamondback in 1921. The Diamondback was initially published as a daily print newspaper on weekdays until becoming a weekly online journal in 2013. It is published by Maryland Media, Inc., a non-profit organization. The newspaper receives no university funding and derives its revenue from advertising.

History

The newspaper was founded on January 1, 1910, named The Triangle until October 14, 1914, then renamed to M.A.C. Weekly (short for Maryland Agriculture College Weekly) from October 21, 1914 to May 31, 1916, then Maryland State Weekly (also known as M. S. Weekly and M. S. C. Weekly) from September 1916 to January 30, 1919, then Maryland State Review from February 6, 1919 to June 10, 1920, then University Review from October 7, 1920 to May 1921, then The Diamondback since June 9, 1921. The newspaper was renamed to The Diamondback by Harry Clifton "Curley" Byrd in honor of a local reptile, the Diamondback terrapin. (The terrapin became affiliated with the school's athletic program in 1933 with support from Byrd, and was officially designated as the school mascot in 1994.)

In the 1930s, the newspaper was printed weekly, increasing to five times per week by the 1950s and distributed for free at various campus locations, until the Friday edition was eliminated in 2013. In 2015, the four days per week publication was reduced to a weekly print edition. The change mirrored a nationwide trend in student newspapers at U.S. universities in the 2010s, such as at the University of Wisconsin, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, and Arizona State, where daily print editions were dropped as readers increasingly gravitated towards social media and online news sources. In March, 2020, the print edition of the newspaper was discontinued altogether. By then, it was published once a week on Monday, with a print circulation of 8,000, down from a high of more than 21,000, and what used to be annual advertising revenues of more than $1 million. It was usually twelve to sixteen pages.

Over the years, the newspaper has been noted for its willingness to challenge authority. In 1935, The Diamondback sharply criticized then-University President Raymond A. Pearson, saying in an editorial that faculty morale was deteriorating following salary cuts and the departure of highly regarded professors had resulted in lowered academic standing. In response, the Board of Regents formed a special committee for a "full investigation". Pearson defended the salary cuts as due to reduced state funding attributable to the Depression and denied that scholastic excellence had been impaired. Pearson subsequently resigned.

In a November, 1940, editorial written in the wake of a disappointing football season, the Diamondback called for the university to provide football scholarships. Saying that state universities "cannot afford not to have a good football team", the editorial added, "the boys who play college football deserve financial aid where they need it. They work hard enough in the course of a season to qualify for pay on a full time job".

In 1972, the Board of Regents granted Maryland Media Inc. a non-profit charter and free office space on campus, under which the Diamondback operates independently. The newspaper receives no university funding and derives its revenue from advertising.

In 1996, the Diamondback was described by Maryland's largest newspaper, The Baltimore Sun, as having a "hard-edged reputation", especially when compared to student newspapers at other colleges in the state. In 2001, a controversy erupted between The Diamondback and the university's journalism school when the Diamondback student staff objected to the Dean of Journalism's proposal that publisher Maryland Media hire a paid editorial advisor for the newsroom, accusing the Dean of a "takeover" that would jeopardize the newspaper's independence. The month before, the Baltimore Sun reported that Maryland Media had a $4 million surplus, with the Diamondback non-student manager paid $179,123 and potentially earning as much as $300,000 per year, further exacerbating relations.

As of 2022, The Diamondback publishes a daily digital-only edition during the school year at dbknews.com. It has been independently published since 1972 by Maryland Media, a non-profit corporation. The paper's offices are located on the third floor of the South Campus Dining Hall, across from the WMUC-FM radio station and the University of Maryland's Residence Hall Association office. As of September 2019, the newspaper's editor said that The Diamondback website had 160,000 visitors for the month.

Sections

The Diamondback is split into four sections:

  • News - The news section covers both on- and off-campus news, specifically in the region of College Park, Maryland, but also expands coverage to Annapolis, Maryland, when the state's legislature is in session.
  • Opinion - The editorial section contains The Diamondback's editorial, op-eds and letters to the editor, and editorial cartoons.
  • Diversions - The entertainment section contains reviews of movies and music, as well as concerts and plays around the College Park region.
  • Sports - The sports section covers University of Maryland athletics, including men's basketball and football. This section often has a combination of news and opinion articles.

Awards

The Diamondback has received many awards throughout its history for categories including photography, news writing and cartoons, especially from the Society of Professional Journalists. In 1949, it was named the "Best College Newspaper" among schools having more than 6,000 students by Pi Delta Epsilon, the national honorary journalism fraternity (later the Society for Collegiate Journalists).

For the 2012–2013, 2015 and 2016 school years, The Diamondback was named the "Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper" in Region 2 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

For the 2010–2011 school year, The Diamondback received a first-place "Mark of Excellence" award for its region, and saw several of its journalists go on to win individual national awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, including for column writing and sports reporting.{{cite web|title=SPJ announces 2010 Region 2 Mark of Excellence Award Winners|date=April 11, 2011|work=SPJ News|publisher=Society of Professional Journalists| url= https://www.spj.org/news.asp?ref=1046|access-date=January 3, 2020}}

For the 2008–2009 school year, The Diamondback placed second in the national Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Awards ranking of daily student newspapers. It received the first-place award for its region.

For the 2005–2006 school year, The Diamondback received a "Mark of Excellence" award, placing 3rd nationally for "Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper" and placing first in its region in the same category.

Alumni

Journalists

Notable journalists who worked at The Diamondback include:

Cartoonists

References

References

  1. (October 5, 2001). "University of Maryland paper's manager focus of profit dispute". Baltimore Sun.
  2. (April 15, 2015). "15 of the Most Iconic Front Pages From The Diamondback".
  3. Hughes, Casey. (Jun 23, 2020). "University Archives Digital Collections: Student Newspaper Collection: The Diamondback".
  4. "About UMD Student Newspapers".
  5. (February 1, 2016). "Trick Question".
  6. slivnick. (2009-08-29). "Diamondback in the day".
  7. Brown, Lauren . (Winter 2018). "Good News for Old News". University of Maryland.
  8. "Collection: ''Diamondback'' photographs / Guide to the Diamondback photographs". Special Collections, University of Maryland Libraries.
  9. (January 12, 2024). "Standing the Testudo of Time".
  10. Rector, Kevin. "A tightly kept symbol of Maryland's past".
  11. "Maryland State Reptile - Diamondback Terrapin". Maryland State Archives.
  12. Zurawik, David. (September 30, 2019). "After 110 years in print, Diamondback to go online only at University of Maryland". [[The Baltimore Sun]].
  13. Dunker, Chris. (April 20, 2017). "UNL student newspaper". [[Lincoln Journal Star]].
  14. "Diamondback Final Print Edition". The Diamondback Online.
  15. "Amicus brief in Rossignol v. Voorhaar".
  16. Porter, George. "Inquiry Ordered at Maryland U.". [[Washington Evening Star]].
  17. (November 12, 1940). "Student Paper Okays Subsidy". [[The Herald-Mail]].
  18. (May 8, 1996). "Paper prizes restraint, not scandal". [[The Baltimore Sun]].
  19. MacGillis, Alec. (November 2, 2001). "Diamondback strikes at journalism deans, alleges takeover plan". [[The Baltimore Sun]].
  20. "Diamondback Newsroom Staff". The Diamondback Online.
  21. (June 12, 1949). "Top Place Given to U. of M. Paper". The Baltimore Sun.
  22. Ottalini, David. (April 24, 2013). "Merrill Journalists Take Top Honors at SPJ Regional Conference". [[Philip Merrill College of Journalism]].
  23. "2011 Mark of ExcellencenNational Winners and Finalists". Society of Professional Journalists.
  24. (May 13, 2009). "SPJ Announces 2008 Mark of Excellence Awards National Winners". [[Society of Professional Journalists]].
  25. "Washington Insider: Journalist Jonathan Allen, BA '98".
  26. Folkenflik, David. (February 29, 2004). "The making of Jason Blair". The Baltimore Sun.
  27. "We Own This City by Justin Fenton: 9780593133682 {{!}} PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books".
  28. Rosen, Jill. (April 2004). "Who Knows Jack?". [[American Journalism Review]].
  29. Petranek, Stephen. "Stephen L. Petranek {{!}} LinkedIn".

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student-newspapers-published-in-marylanduniversity-of-maryland,-college-parkuniversity-of-maryland,-college-park-student-organizationsnewspapers-established-in-19091909-establishments-in-maryland