The Brunswickan


The Brunswickan is the official student newspaper of the Fredericton campus of the University of New Brunswick, New Brunswick, Canada. Founded in 1867, it has a circulation of 4,000 and issues are published on the first Wednesday each month, traditionally running 8 issues annually.

Overview

A founding member of the Canadian University Press, The Brunswickan remains one of the largest community newspapers in Atlantic Canada, and among the largest in Canada, well out-of-proportion to the size of its home campus. In January 2009, the paper switched from broadsheet to tabloid format in response to financial pressures, and in an effort to reduce its impact on the environment. The Brunswickan subsequently dropped its circulation from 10,000 to 6,000 issues per week later that month, and again to 5,000 in 2012. Circulation dropped again to 4,000 in September 2013. By the 2024-25 publishing term, print runs dropped to 200 copies per issue, underscoring both the shift toward digital content and the continued financial pressures on The Brunswickan.
The Brunswickan was founded in 1867 and is the oldest Canadian student publisher. At the time of its foundation, the University of New Brunswick had still been known as King's College.
Regional rival, The Dalhousie Gazette at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, claims the title of "oldest student newspaper in Canada." The Gazette has published consecutively since 1868, whereas there are significant gaps in the publishing history of The Brunswickan.
During the Strax affair of 1968-69 two students were charged with contempt of court over an article published in the Brunswickan that questioned the objectivity of the New Brunswick courts. Both were found guilty. The editor, John Oliver, was fined $50 and required to print a retraction. The author, Tom Murphy, was sentenced to ten days in jail.University of New Brunswick Fredericton Campus" align="right" />In the past, members of the paper have been referred to as "brunsies," a term of pride and affection for some.
Among its notable alumni are Colin B. Mackay, Bliss Carman, Charles G. D. Roberts, Dalton Camp, Fredrik Eaton, Nathan White, Donald Pringle and Kwame Dawes.
The Brunswickan has a sister-publication, , at the other UNB campus, UNB Saint John.
The Brunswickan has a good-natured rivalry with The Aquinian, the campus newspaper for St. Thomas University which is also located on Fredericton's college hill.

Editors in Chief

In 2018, two senior staff oversaw the publication but no official replacement was hired for the duration of the year.

Sections

  • News: Campus and off-campus coverage of student issues and noteworthy happenings, as well as breaking stories.
  • Opinion: Editorials, regular columns, and letters to the editor, usually focusing on student and social issues, as well as activism.
  • Arts & Culture: Covers community, social issues, culture, arts, and events.
  • Sports: Covers University sports in collaboration with Atlantic University Sports.
  • Occasional features are also published that vary in relevant subject matter and tie into different sections.