The Tartan or The Tartan: Radford University News is a student-run newspaper published weekly for readers in and around Radford University in Radford, Virginia. Its function is to provide the students and faculty of Radford University, as well as the residents of the surrounding city of Radford, with news pertaining to the university and surrounding community. The paper is circulated every Tuesday (Tartan Tuesdays) as part of their bi-weekly newspaper, and is the most widely circulated publication in the town of Radford.[citation needed] The paper was first published in January 1921.[citation needed]
History
The Tartan was originally named The Grapurchat. Its first issue was four pages, featured one picture, and detailed a cocktail party which had happened the week before. In 1978, The Grapurchat rebranded to The Tartan and its staff has now grown to include an Editor in Chief, a Managing Editor, a Section Editor, three Copy Editors, five staff writers, and a WebmasterThe Tartan has a weekly circulation of 4,000.
The Tartan utilizes the RU Student Media's in-house advertising agency, SMADS, to gather and design advertisements which it uses as its main stream of revenue. The paper nets about $2,100 a week in ad revenue alone.[citation needed]
In March 2011, The Tartan launched a WordPresswebsite to complement the print form of the publication. The website features a mix of articles published in the weekly issues of the paper, but also plays host to content uploaded throughout the week that does not get published in the weekly Wednesday editions.[citation needed]
Staff Members
Editor in Chief: Serenity Sears
Major: BFA Dance & BS Media Studies
Managing Editor: Abigail Ridpath
Major: BA English/ minor in Creative Writing
Section Editor: Stephanie Perez
Major: BS Public Relations
Copy Editor: Owen Saunders
Major: BS Communication Studies
Copy Editor: Bella Smith
Major: BS Dance Education/ minors in Entrepreneurship and Photography
Copy Editor: Alex Castanien
Major: BS Media Studies
Staff Writer: Goldie Owens
Graduate Student in Strategic Communication Program
Staff Writer: Abigail Morin
Major: BS Media Studies
Staff Writer: Aidan Hilton
Major: BS Theater/ minors in Cinema and Environmental Science
Staff Writer: Kimberly Barajas
Major: BS Criminal Justice
Staff Writer: Lauryn Washington
Major: BS Dance/ minor in Education
Webmaster: Benjamin Goldfeder
Major: Information Science and Systems/ Concentration in Security Management /Minor in Legal Studies
