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The Michigan Daily

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The Michigan Daily
Type Student newspaper
Format Broadsheet
Founded September 29, 1890; 135 years ago
School University of Michigan

The Michigan Daily, also known as "The Daily", is the independent student newspaper of the University of Michigan published in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was established on September 29, 1890.

A print edition of the paper is published once a week during the fall and winter terms, traditionally on Wednesdays.


History

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First issue of The Daily in 1890

On April 12, 1955, when the success of Jonas Salk's polio vaccine was announced at the University of Michigan the Daily was the first newspaper to report it. In 1957, the Daily sent a staff member to Little Rock, Arkansas who, pretending to be a student, attended classes on the first day of integration.[citation needed]

In February 1967, the Board in Control of Student Publications rejected the nomination of student Roger Rapoport for editor-in-chief, deeming him too controversial. Students fiercely opposed this administrative overreach. They launched a pressure campaign that forced the Board to accept the students' chosen editorial slate. Two years later, in 1969, the U-M Board of Regents passed that stripped the Board of its editorial influence and its power to select editors.[1][better source needed]

The paper was the subject of national press coverage in 1967, when it urged the legalization of marijuana, and again during the Gulf War in 1991, when it called for the reinstatement of the military draft.[citation needed]

The Daily was instrumental in the spread of the "Paul is dead" urban legend. An October 14, 1969 Daily article by Fred LaBour and John Gray, entitled "McCartney Dead; New Evidence Brought to Light", itemized various "clues", many of them of their own invention. Their "reporting" of McCartney's death is claimed by Beatleologist Andru J. Reeve to have been "the single most significant factor in the breadth of the rumor's spread."[2] [better source needed]

The first female editor-in-chief of The Daily was Harriett Woods, who later served in Missouri State government, ran for the Senate twice in the 1980s nearly beating John Danforth the first time, and led the National Women's Political Caucus through its Year of the Woman in 1992.[citation needed]

In 2007, renovations to the historic building at 420 Maynard Street were completed, funded entirely by private donations from alumni. To dedicate the renovated building, a reunion of the staffs of The Michigan Daily, the Michiganensian yearbook, and the Gargoyle Humor Magazine was held from October 26 to 28, 2007.


In 2017, Avery Friedman founded The Daily's podcast section.[3][4]

Since, 2023, The Daily has been lead by two editors-in-chief due to its large staff and high content production volume.[5]

Two Michigan Daily staffers, Mariam Odeh and Amatullah Hakim, were arrested and indicted on conspiracy charges for coordinated vandalism of the private residences of University of Michigan regents.[6][7]

Notable alumni

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Thomas Dewey, 47th governor of New York

Many columnists and editors from The Daily have gone to hold prominent positions in government, journalism, and more, working for publications like The New York Times, The Washington Post, Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, Time magazine, and the Chicago Tribune.[8]

Alumni include playwright Arthur Miller,[9] 47th governor of New York and presidential candidate Thomas Dewey, activist Tom Hayden, investment banker Bruce Wasserstein,[8] journalist and physician Sanjay Gupta,[10] former chairman of American Airlines George A. Spater,[11] journalist and game show host Mike Wallace,[12] and former lieutenant governor of Missouri Harriett Woods.[13][14]

Notable journalists and writers include seven Pulitzer Prize winners: Eugene Robinson[15], Lisa Pollak, Ann Marie Lipinski,[16] Amy Harmon, Stanford Lipsey, and Arthur Miller. They also include notable broadcast journalists like du-Pont Columbia Award winner David Schechter. Singer-Songwriter Avery Friedman wrote for The Daily,[4] and launched their podcast department in 2017,[3] before releasing her debut album in 2025.[17][18][19]

Awards won by The Daily include the 2023 National Pacemaker Award in online media,[20] 22 awards from the Society of Professional Journalists in 2020 and 2021,[21][22] and 14 awards from the Michigan College Press Association in 2018.[23]

References

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  1. ↑ Hedin, Glenn (June 4, 2026). "How The Daily won its editorial independence". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved July 1, 2026.
  2. ↑ Glenn, Allen, "Paul is dead (said Fred)" Archived 2010-12-28 at the Wayback Machine, Michigan Today (November 11, 2009)
  3. 1 2 Risberg, Mia (May 20, 2022). "Podcasts from Local Featuring Arts and Creatives - Current Magazine". Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  4. 1 2 "SPOTLIGHT ON... AVERY FRIEDMAN, SOCIAL VENTURES CHAIR". MUSIC Matters. January 17, 2018. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  5. ↑ Stocking, Kate Weiland, Shannon (January 6, 2023). "From the Editors: The Michigan Daily takes on two Editors-in-Chief". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved July 1, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/10/us/university-michigan-pro-palestinian-activists-indicted.html
  7. ↑ https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2026/06/3-takeaways-on-fbi-raid-of-pro-palestinian-vandalism-arrests.html
  8. 1 2 "About Us". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  9. ↑ "From the Daily: Arthur Miller". The Michigan Daily. February 11, 2005. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  10. ↑ Steinberg, Stephanie (January 13, 2009). "'U' alum Sanjay Gupta could be the next surgeon general". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  11. ↑ "George Spater is Keynote Speaker". The Virgin Islands Daily News - Google News Archive Search.
  12. ↑ Rubenfire, Adam (April 8, 2012). "University alum Mike Wallace, a notoriously tough interviewer, defined an age of broadcast news". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  13. ↑ Martin, Douglas (February 10, 2007). "Harriett Woods, 79, Women's Political Leader, Dies". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  14. ↑ "George Spater is Keynote Speaker". The Virgin Island Daily News – via Google News.
  15. ↑ The Michigan Daily (October 7, 2009). Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson reflects on his time at the Daily. Retrieved November 23, 2025 – via YouTube.
  16. ↑ Harmon, Matt (September 17, 2017). "Pulitzer Prize-winning Daily alum discuss diversity and tech in journalism". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  17. ↑ Cholst, Rachel (April 14, 2025). "ALBUM REVIEW: Avery Friedman's Debut Is A Bold, Instinctual 'New Thing'". No Depression. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  18. ↑ Campbell, Caleb. "Premiere: Avery Friedman Shares New Single "New Thing"". Under the Radar Magazine. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  19. ↑ Thompson, Stephen (April 21, 2025). "The best albums out April 18". NPR. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  20. ↑ "ACP - 2023 Online Pacemaker finalists". Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  21. ↑ SPJ. "Region 4 Mark of Excellence Awards winners announced". www.spj.org. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  22. ↑ Becher, Asif (May 14, 2018). "Michigan Press Association honors The Daily with 14 awards". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  23. ↑ SPJ. "Region 4 Mark of Excellence Awards winners announced". www.spj.org. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
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