The Cambridge Student

The Cambridge Student
TypeOnline newspaper
Owner(s)Cambridge Students' Union
Editor-in-chiefLily Brough
Deputy editorSaranka Maheswaran
Founded1999
HeadquartersCambridge University Students' Union, 17 Mill Lane, Cambridge, CB2 1RX, UK
Websitewww.tcs.cam.ac.uk

The Cambridge Student, commonly known as TCS, is one of Cambridge University's student newspapers. The paper was founded in October 1999 and once produced a weekly print run of 10,000 copies during university term time. The publication has been relaunched in 2023. It is affiliated with the Cambridge University Students' Union (CUSU), although it is editorially independent.

The paper has interviewed public figures, including United Nations Weapons Inspector Hans Blix, director Ridley Scott, politician Ian Paisley; the BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner; and journalist David Frost, and academics including Jason Arday.[1]

TCS has historically national headlines with news of animal rights abuses at the university.[2] The newspaper's photography of the tuition fee riots also won plaudits. In March 2011 the paper became embroiled in controversy when its editor, Philip Brook, forged a letter insinuating unfounded sexual allegations against a fictional fellow at St. John's.[3][4][5][6]

In April 2016, TCS announced that CUSU was preparing to pass a budget which would cut its print funding, and turn it into an online newspaper, with occasional print editions.[7] Sections of an internal letter, leaked to Varsity, said that CUSU had ended up in a "difficult situation" financially, which lead to the need for cuts.[8] The budget was ratified at a meeting of CUSU's council on 16 May 2016, bringing TCS's print run to an end.[9] Despite enjoying a brief fortnightly reappearance in print following widespread negative coverage of its student union publisher over the issue,[10][11] in October 2018 the print run of TCS was confirmed to have been ended,[12] following ongoing reports of huge losses incurred by Cambridge University Students' Union over a number of years.[13][14][15][16]

  1. ^ "Cambridge's Youngest Black Professor Speaks on Institutional Racism and Legacies of Slavery". TCS.
  2. ^ pp 1 & 6
  3. ^ "Cambridge News | Latest News Headlines from Cambridge City & Cambridgeshire | National News by Cambridge News | Paper chief may resign over hoax sex story". Archived from the original on 14 March 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  4. ^ "Student Press". York Vision. 15 March 2011.
  5. ^ "Cambridge student editor quits in disgrace over sex hoax on rivals". Daily Mirror. 11 March 2011.
  6. ^ "Update: TCS co-editor resigns over hoax allegation". Varsity Online.
  7. ^ "CUSU budget threatens 17-year TCS print legacy". 21 April 2016. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  8. ^ "CUSU cuts threaten TCS print". Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  9. ^ "End of TCS print edition as CUSU ratifies budget". Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  10. ^ "Cambridge students' union urged to rethink possible closure of award-winning newspaper". Independent.co.uk.
  11. ^ "17-year print run of The Cambridge Student under threat after "frankly disgusting" CUSU cuts".
  12. ^ "The Cambridge Student goes online-only, quietly ending 19-year print run".
  13. ^ "How CUSU lost about £300,000 in three years".
  14. ^ "New tensions over TCS as CUSU claims paper is facing 'significant' losses".
  15. ^ "Trustees' report confirms CUSU losses, skirts over past difficulties".
  16. ^ "Financial inquiry report bashes CUSU over communication failings".