The Newark Targum

The Newark Targum was a student newspaper created for Rutgers University's Newark campus and published by the Targum Publishing Company, the independent nonprofit organization associated with Rutgers' long-running student newspaper, The Daily Targum. It was conceived as a Newark-focused counterpart to the Daily Targum, which had historically served the university's New Brunswick campus. The publication was intended to provide Rutgers–Newark students with campus-specific reporting while retaining some of the production, editorial, and business infrastructure of the broader Targum organization. The idea emerged in late 2005 after a request to have The Daily Targum delivered to Rutgers–Newark prompted discussions about the practicality of transportation and distribution. Those conversations developed into a proposal for a separate publication rather than simply extending delivery of the New Brunswick paper. The proposal received encouraging reactions from Newark students and administrators, and the Targum Publishing Company's board approved a limited test run. The first issue appeared on February 15, 2006. The newspaper was designed as a weekly, bi-fold tabloid publication. It was scheduled for Wednesday distribution during the academic year and had an intended circulation of approximately 5,000 copies. Its reporting was generated primarily by student editors and reporters working on or around the Newark campus, while some material was shared with The Daily Targum when it concerned the wider Rutgers community. The paper also carried selected material from The Associated Press, including world-news briefs and occasional sports content. Although the launch received initial support and the paper was approved to continue beyond its first issue, the experiment was brief. Only four issues were ultimately published in 2006, after which the Newark edition was discontinued. It therefore remained a localized extension of the Targum publishing operation rather than becoming a durable independent newspaper. The Newark Targum's short existence contrasts with The Daily Targum, which traces its institutional history to 1867 and later developed into a major student media organization at Rutgers. The Newark edition is also distinct from The Daily Targum's later digital transition. The Newark Targum ended before the Daily Targum's 2019 funding referendum setback and its 2020 move to an entirely digital publication. Available reference material does not establish a separate continuing website, corporate entity, financial performance, or later revival for The Newark Targum.

The Newark Targum was established in 2006 as a localized student newspaper for Rutgers University's Newark campus. It was created within the institutional and operational framework of the Targum Publishing Company, which oversaw The Daily Targum, Rutgers' principal student newspaper at New Brunswick. The parent publication had a long history dating to 1867, but the Newark edition was a separate experiment intended to address the different news and distribution needs of Rutgers–Newark. The proposal originated in the middle of the fall 2005 semester. A request concerning delivery of The Daily Targum to Newark led business manager Brad Whitson and editor-in-chief Nick Sevilis to consider the cost and logistics of transporting the existing daily newspaper. The discussion shifted toward creating a distinct publication focused on Newark. The plan benefited from favorable reactions among Newark students and administrators, and the expected printing and delivery arrangements did not initially create prohibitive barriers. Four student executives presented the proposal to the Targum Publishing Company's board of trustees, which authorized a test run. The first issue was printed on February 15, 2006. The publication was planned as a weekly bi-fold tabloid, distributed on Wednesdays during the academic year, with a circulation of about 5,000 copies. Its editorial model combined local student journalism with content-sharing arrangements. Student editors and reporters based at Rutgers–Newark supplied much of the campus coverage, while articles relevant to the broader Rutgers community could be shared with The Daily Targum. The paper also used selected Associated Press material, particularly in its world-news briefs and sometimes in sports. The Newark Targum was approved to continue through the fall 2006 semester, but the project did not become a permanent campus publication. Four issues were published in total, after which the edition folded. The available record does not identify a single formal reason for the closure, and no later relaunch is documented. Its brief run makes it best understood as a limited campus-media pilot rather than a lasting standalone newspaper brand. The Newark Targum should not be confused with The Daily Targum itself. The latter continued to operate at Rutgers and later experienced major changes, including a substantial reduction in student-fee funding after a failed 2019 referendum and a transition to fully digital publishing in 2020. Those later developments belong to the history of The Daily Targum and its publishing organization, not to the short-lived Newark edition.

• 2006

  First issue published

  [1]The Daily Targumen.wikipedia.org

  The Newark Targum released its first issue on February 15, beginning a limited publication trial.

• 2006

  Publication discontinued

  [1]The Daily Targumen.wikipedia.org

  The edition ended after four issues, despite initial approval to continue through the fall semester.

• 2005

  Proposal for a Newark campus edition

  [1]The Daily Targumen.wikipedia.org

  Discussions about delivering The Daily Targum to Rutgers–Newark developed into a plan for a separate weekly newspaper serving that campus.

A campus-specific weekly student newspaper intended to give Rutgers–Newark students a local editorial voice while using the publishing resources and institutional framework of The Targum.

• Student newspaper · 2006

  The Newark Targum weekly newspaper

  A bi-fold tabloid-format weekly newspaper produced for Rutgers–Newark students. It was scheduled for Wednesday publication during the academic year and combined Newark campus reporting with university-wide material shared through the wider Targum operation. The planned circulation was approximately 5,000 copies. Only four issues were published in 2006 before the edition was discontinued.

• 2006

  Discontinue the Newark editionOther

  Background

  The newspaper was launched as a trial publication for Rutgers–Newark and was approved to continue only for a limited period.

  Action taken

  Publication ended after four issues in 2006.

  Aftermath

  The Newark Targum became a defunct short-run student newspaper, with no documented subsequent relaunch.

  Source

• 2005

  Create a dedicated Newark campus newspaperStrategy

  Background

  A request to deliver the New Brunswick-based Daily Targum to Rutgers–Newark raised logistical questions and prompted consideration of a separate publication focused on Newark students.

  Action taken

  Targum staff developed a proposal for a weekly Newark edition and presented it to the Targum Publishing Company's board of trustees.

  Aftermath

  The board approved a limited test run, leading to the launch of The Newark Targum in February 2006.

  Source

1. 1The Daily Targumen.wikipedia.org