The Shorthorn

The Shorthorn is the student newspaper of the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) in Arlington, Texas. It operates as a student-run journalism organization serving the university community through reporting, commentary, visual journalism, and other forms of campus media. The publication has been in print since 1919, making it one of the university's oldest continuing traditions and a longstanding record of campus life. The newspaper's coverage is directed primarily at the UTA community. Its editorial output addresses university affairs and other matters relevant to students, faculty, staff, and the surrounding campus environment. The Shorthorn combines the educational role of a college newsroom with the functions of a local news outlet: student staff members gain experience in reporting, editing, photography, design, digital publishing, and newsroom management while producing journalism for a defined readership. Its publishing model has evolved from a traditional print newspaper into a digital-first operation. The Shorthorn has provided online content since 1997. During the fall and spring semesters, it publishes online daily and produces a print digest on Wednesdays. In the summer, when no print edition is produced, its content is published online. This schedule allows the publication to maintain a regular digital presence while retaining a limited print format during the main academic terms. The Shorthorn has received recognition in college journalism, including Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Crown honors, a Texas Associated Press Managing Editors award, and the Texas Intercollegiate Press Sweepstakes award. It also received the National Pacemaker Award in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2022, according to the publication's encyclopedia reference material. These awards place the newspaper among recognized student journalism organizations in the United States. In 2019, The Shorthorn marked its centennial, celebrating 100 years of publication and describing the anniversary as a milestone in UTA history. Reese Oxner served as editor in chief during the centennial year. The publication has also produced notable alumni, including Pulitzer Prize-winning photographers Michael Ainsworth, Tom Fox, and Brad Loper, as well as historian Michael Phillips. Its present identity is therefore both a campus media brand and a training institution for emerging journalists.

The Shorthorn is the campus newspaper of the University of Texas at Arlington. Its institutional history extends back to 1919, when it began publication in print. Over the following decades, it developed as a student-run publication serving the university community and documenting campus events, debates, and institutional developments. The newspaper's significance is tied not only to its role as a source of campus news but also to its function as a practical journalism program. Student staff members participate in the production of a working publication, gaining experience across reporting, editing, photography, design, and newsroom operations. This model makes The Shorthorn both a media outlet and a training ground for students entering professional journalism and related communications fields. A major transition occurred in 1997, when The Shorthorn began actively publishing content online. The move expanded the publication beyond the constraints of a periodic print edition and eventually supported a digital-first publishing schedule. The newspaper currently publishes online daily during the fall and spring semesters and produces a Wednesday print digest during those terms. During the summer, it continues online publishing without a print edition. The publication has built a record of achievement in collegiate journalism. Its honors include the Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Crown award, recognition from the Texas Associated Press Managing Editors, and the Texas Intercollegiate Press Sweepstakes award. The Shorthorn also won the National Pacemaker Award in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2022. These distinctions reflect recognition for the quality of its student journalism and publication work. In 2019, The Shorthorn reached its 100th anniversary. The centennial presented the publication as a continuing part of UTA's institutional heritage and as the university's oldest tradition. Reese Oxner was editor in chief during the centennial year. The newspaper's alumni network includes Pulitzer Prize-winning photographers Michael Ainsworth, Tom Fox, and Brad Loper, along with historian Michael Phillips, illustrating the professional careers that have emerged from its student newsroom. Today, The Shorthorn remains an active UTA publication with a hybrid distribution model. Its website provides the principal channel for current coverage, while the academic-year print digest preserves a physical newspaper format. The combination reflects the broader transformation of college newspapers from print-centered organizations into digital newsrooms while retaining their educational and community functions.

1. 2022Most recent listed National Pacemaker Award

   The newspaper receives another National Pacemaker Award, following listed wins in 2020 and 2021.

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2. 2019Centennial anniversary

   The Shorthorn celebrates 100 years in print and marks the anniversary as a major UTA institutional tradition.

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3. 2015First listed National Pacemaker Award year

   The Shorthorn receives the National Pacemaker Award, beginning a series of listed wins in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2022.

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4. 1997Online publishing begins

   The publication begins actively providing content online, establishing the foundation for its later digital-first model.

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5. 1919Print publication begins

   The Shorthorn begins publishing in print as the campus newspaper of the University of Texas at Arlington.

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A student-run, digital-first campus newspaper combining University of Texas at Arlington news coverage with hands-on journalism education.

• The Shorthorn websiteDigital campus newspaper1997

  The publication's primary digital outlet, providing online campus journalism. The Shorthorn has published online since 1997 and operates a daily online schedule during the fall and spring semesters. Its digital operation enables timely reporting and allows the newspaper to continue publishing during the summer, when no print edition is produced.

• The Shorthorn print digestPrint campus newspaper1919

  A Wednesday print digest produced during the fall and spring semesters. It preserves a physical newspaper format while the broader operation focuses on daily online publishing. No print edition is produced during the summer.

• 2019Centennial publication milestoneOther

  The Shorthorn reached 100 years of print publication and identified the anniversary as an important UTA tradition.

  What changed. The newspaper commemorated its centennial year as a century-old campus publication.

  Aftermath. The anniversary reinforced the newspaper's historical identity within the University of Texas at Arlington.

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• 1997Adoption of online publishingStrategy

  The Shorthorn operated as a print campus newspaper before expanding its publishing activity to the internet.

  What changed. The publication began actively providing content online.

  Aftermath. Online publishing became a central part of the newspaper's distribution model and later supported daily digital coverage.

  Source

• 2022The Shorthorn receives National Pacemaker Award

  The student newspaper received the National Pacemaker Award in 2022, adding to awards it had received in 2021, 2020, 2018, 2017, 2016, and 2015.

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• 2019The Shorthorn celebrates its centennial

  The publication marked 100 years in print and highlighted its role as one of the University of Texas at Arlington's oldest continuing traditions. Reese Oxner served as editor in chief during the anniversary year.

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1. The Shorthorn
2. The Shorthorn official website