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What is The Blue Banner?
The Blue Banner is the student-run news publication at the University of North Carolina Asheville, describing itself as "The Student Voice of UNC Asheville." It is available online at The Blue Banner.
Its core audience is the campus community: students, faculty, staff, and alumni who want reporting on university life. As a student publication, it typically covers topics such as campus news, student government, arts and culture, sports, and opinion pieces. It may also serve as a training ground for students interested in journalism, editing, and media production.
A few practical points distinguish a student paper like this:
- Perspective: Coverage tends to focus on issues directly affecting the campus rather than broad regional or national news.
- Staffing: Content is usually produced by students, sometimes with faculty advising, which can mean a mix of emerging and experienced writers.
- Access: Online publication generally makes articles free to read, though frequency and editorial standards can vary by semester.
For prospective students or families, it can offer an inside view of campus conversations and concerns. For researchers or local readers, it may be useful as a record of student opinion and university events, though it should be treated as campus-focused rather than a comprehensive news source.
Who runs The Blue Banner and how is it funded?
The Blue Banner is the student newspaper of the University of North Carolina Asheville, and its own tagline describes it as "The Student Voice of UNC Asheville." That framing points to the core of its operations: the publication is produced by students, typically with an editorial board of student editors and staff writers, photographers and designers. A faculty adviser commonly oversees the operation, offering guidance while leaving editorial decisions to the student team.
On funding, student publications of this kind are usually supported through a mix of sources:
- Student activity or media fees allocated by the university
- Advertising revenue from local businesses and campus organizations
- Occasional grants, donations or fundraising
Because the site itself does not lay out a budget, the exact split among these sources is not stated here. What is clear is the audience and purpose: current students, faculty, staff and alumni who want campus news, plus community readers interested in university affairs. The trade-off of this model is familiar — fee support can provide stability, while ad revenue ties income to audience size and local business conditions. For readers, the practical value is straightforward: reporting on campus events, student government, arts and athletics from a student perspective.
What kind of stories does The Blue Banner cover about UNC Asheville?
The Blue Banner is the student-run news outlet for the University of North Carolina Asheville, and its coverage centers on campus life and the surrounding community. Its reporting typically falls into a few recurring areas.
Typical coverage areas
- Campus news and administration: decisions by university leadership, budget and funding matters, policy changes, and academic programs.
- Student life and events: clubs, performances, athletics, housing, dining, and day-to-day experiences on campus.
- Student government and activism: elections, resolutions, protests, and organizing efforts.
- Local and regional issues: Asheville-area news that affects students, including city politics, the environment, and community affairs.
- Arts and culture: reviews, profiles, and coverage of the local creative scene.
- Opinion and sports: columns, editorials, and coverage of UNCA athletic teams.
Because it is a student publication, the tone and depth can vary by writer, and breaking news may be covered less intensively than at a professional daily. It is best suited to readers who want a student perspective on UNCA and Asheville rather than comprehensive national or statewide coverage.
How can students get involved or submit tips to The Blue Banner?
Students at UNC Asheville can engage with The Blue Banner in several ways, depending on whether they want to contribute content, join the staff, or share information.
Submitting tips or story ideas The publication identifies itself as the student voice of the campus, so news tips typically come from students, staff, and community members. Readers can usually reach the newsroom through the contact details listed on the site, such as a general email address or an editor's contact page. Anonymous or sensitive tips may be possible, but it is best to confirm the outlet's current policy before sending confidential material.
Getting involved as a contributor Students interested in journalism, photography, design, or social media may join as writers, photographers, or editors. Involvement is generally open to enrolled students, and prior experience is often not required for entry-level roles. Interested students can attend staff meetings, email the editors, or check the site for recruitment announcements.
What to expect
- Student-run newsrooms often operate on academic schedules, so responses may be slower during breaks.
- Contributors usually work under an editor who reviews drafts.
- Opinion pieces, campus news, arts coverage, and sports are common sections.
For the most accurate instructions, consult the contact or "get involved" information published directly on The Blue Banner.
Does The Blue Banner provide campus news, sports, and arts coverage?
The Blue Banner is the student-run news outlet of the University of North Carolina Asheville, and its stated role as "The Student Voice of UNC Asheville" indicates it covers the full range of campus life rather than a single beat. For a student publication of this type, that usually means three main areas:
- Campus news — governance, administration decisions, student government, tuition and policy changes, campus events and issues affecting students day to day.
- Sports — coverage of UNC Asheville Bulldogs teams and athletes, including game recaps, results and profiles, as reported by student journalists.
- Arts and culture — reviews, previews and features on music, theatre, visual art, film and other cultural events on and around campus.
The primary audience is UNC Asheville students, along with faculty, staff, alumni and local readers who want a student perspective on the university. Its value lies in that perspective: coverage produced by people inside the campus community, often on topics larger outlets overlook. The trade-off is typical of student media — reporting is done by students who are still learning, resources are limited, and output may vary with the academic calendar. Readers seeking comprehensive or continuously updated coverage may find it useful as a complement to, rather than a replacement for, professional local news.
How does The Blue Banner serve as the student voice of UNC Asheville?
The Blue Banner presents itself as the student voice of UNC Asheville, and that role is reflected in how it frames its coverage. As a student-run publication, it typically focuses on campus life, university decisions, and issues that affect students directly, rather than on general regional or national news.
Its main functions include:
- Reporting on campus affairs such as administration, academics, events and student organisations.
- Providing a platform for student perspectives, including opinion and commentary pieces.
- Holding campus institutions accountable by covering debates, policies and changes at the university.
- Training student journalists, giving them practical experience in reporting, writing and editing.
The audience is primarily UNC Asheville students, along with staff, faculty and community members who follow campus issues. Because it is a student publication, its coverage may be shaped by the interests and available resources of its student staff, which can mean a stronger emphasis on campus-focused stories than on broader investigative work.
The "student voice" idea is therefore both a description of its content and its structure: students report, write and edit the material, and the topics centre on student concerns. Readers looking for official university messaging would need other sources, since this site is positioned as an independent student outlet.
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