An upstart rival is taking on a university stalwart

And so it was with gleeful curiosity that I learned of a newspaper war breaking out in the rather more genteel habitat of Glasgow University. Until late last year the sylvan territory around Gilmorehill and Hillhead was the exclusive preserve of the hallowed Glasgow Guardian, one of the best and most influential student newspapers in the UK. Its pages launched the careers of dozens of Scotland's top journalists.
Read More
It's still a splendid publication with comment and culture sections that would do justice to the national, paid-for prints. Yet, I'd been failing in my paternal duty to these young scribes if I didn't point out that having 30 or so editorial executives and one reporter (as listed on their back page) suggests they might need to, you know … get out a wee bit more.
Since November last year though, the Glasgow Guardian has faced stiff competition from an upstart rival called the Hillhead Review, launched by two of its brightest student journalists. The battle for the hearts and minds of Glasgow University's sprawling student body may not have the Brylcreem and Kensitas ferocity of the 1960s Glasgow print wars but it's intense all the same. The split was rooted in concepts as old as the history of the printed word: freedom of expression, censorship and challenging power.
The battle took another twist last month when the Hillhead Review, with far fewer personnel and a fraction of the Glasgow Guardian's resources was voted Student Newspaper of the Year in The Herald's prestigious Student Journalism awards. Their Editor-in-Chief, Odhran Gallagher added Student Journalist of the Year to the paper's accolades. This is some going for a publication that's barely six months old.
Mr Gallagher and his co-Editor, Katherine McKay are telling me rather bashfully of the story of their success. We're in that imposing big edifice at the foot of University Avenue called the James McCune Smith Learning Hub, which I should also point out has a hearty cafeteria where a chap like me can get all of his five-a-week in one sitting.
It all started with 'that abortion story' as I clumsily describe it. They tell me 'that abortion story' is somewhat more nuanced than this.
'There's a society on campus called Glasgow Students for Choice, a pro-abortion group who raise awareness and funds for their cause,' said Mr Gallagher. 'They'd received some match tickets from Partick Thistle, who were keen for more students to attend their games.'
At this point, Ms McKay tells me she's very pro-abortion and had considered joining this group. It seems though, that Glasgow Students for choice raffled the tickets off to raise cash for an abortion charity. Partick Thistle got wind of this though, and said they didn't want to be associated with it and that besides, the tickets were a free donation and not for fund-raising.
The Herald Student Journalism Award winners (Image: Mark F Gibson)
'We understand that some Catholic students had informed the football club,' they say. Ms Gallagher says they wrote the story up for the Glasgow Guardian, having solicited comment from both Thistle and the Abortion group. 'It was a straightforward news story, containing no bias and we wanted to publish it. But someone contacted the editor anonymously, claiming it wasn't true. We were then told not to run with it.'
The pair had also wanted to run with a story about Sandy Brindley, the embattled chief of Rape Crisis Scotland who had connections to Glasgow University. 'But the editors killed that story quickly too, insisting it was 'anti-women, which it certainly wasn't. I thought it was in the students' interest to run it, says Ms McKay. 'Of course it's a sensitive issue but we're supposed to be about publishing stories about sensitive issues.'
'That's when we told them we were leaving the paper because we weren't happy about them killing stories. We both still wanted a platform to write and we both still had ambitions of getting into journalism.'
In the course of a single weekend, they built a news website; purchased the domain name and published their first story on-line: a belter about a bloke who'd exposed himself in the University library which was picked up by the nationals. 'We got a decent following right away and many requests from students wanting to write for us.' Some of them, it seemed, had been rather intimidated by the rarefied atmosphere around the Glasgow Guardian with its 30 editors.
'Print is very expensive,' says Mr Gallagher, 'but both Katie and I had part-time jobs and had just enough to self-fund an initial 12-page print run of 400 copies which were quickly snapped up.' Their first splash in the middle of last November was another belter about students using paid essay-writing services on the Chinese social media app WeChat to plagiarise assignments.
This young pair are far sharper and more switched-on than I was at their age. I tell them of my own experience at the hands of the Glasgow University Guardian as it then was in the early 1980s. I had a part-time job at the Theatre Royal and pitched a review of Puccini's Manon Lescaut. The editor had looked down his glasses at me and laughed, before asking me if I played a musical instrument, to which I'd replied No. but resisting the urge to tell him that if I did he'd be getting chibbed with it.
I ask them about the perception that some universities have become captured by contrived ideologies bearing little resonance to the lived experience of the majority of students. 'Am I just being an old curmudgeon out of touch with what progressive young people think,' I ask them.
They both re-assure me I'm no such thing (though I do still wonder). 'In February, I wrote a piece about Glasgow Students for Choice, though not deliberately aimed at them,' says Mr Gallagher. There was an interview with them in the Glasgow Guardian discussing sex education in Scotland. I disagreed with some of it, including the expressed view that working-class people didn't understand sex properly. I asked why people from Glasgow should listen to drivel from an overseas student.
'There's a class element to this. When you went to Glasgow there was probably around 70-80% who came from the West of Scotland. Now, there are a lot more overseas students, which is great. But there's a wealthy, middle-class cohort who have a certain attitude to working-class students from the West of Scotland and I wanted to push against that.'
At this point, they're wary of saying too much on the record. Women especially, are subject to intense levels of online abuse when they venture onto this terrain.
'At the Hillhead Review,' declares Ms McKay, 'we want to give people an opportunity to express different views from outside that narrow echo chamber that's become dominated by the Far Left. Her colleague adds: 'All some people want to write about is Palestine and trans rights.
'A lot of this is coming from middle managers. I don't think many of the senior academic staff believe any of this and nor do a lot of students. It's all about ideological capture by people who don't want a debate or scrutiny. We don't want to be told what to think and to be free to speak.'
These are the principles on which the University was built and it's reassuring that some of our brightest and best young people still cherish them. I'm also delighted that Scotland's mightiest university in its newspaper capital has two excellent titles scrapping for news and readers like the old days.
Kevin McKenna is a Herald writer and columnist. He's fiercely proud of never having been approached by any political party or lobbying firm to do their bidding.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Scottish Sun

4 hours ago

• Scottish Sun

Oasis fans set to break all-time booze records during sold-out Scots gigs

Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) OASIS fans could be set to break booze records at Scotland's largest stadium, industry experts claim. Up to 210,000 supporters are expected to descend on Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh for three sell-out shows at the beginning of August. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 3 Oasis fans could smash alcohol sales records at Murrayfield Stadium Credit: Alamy 3 The Gallagher brothers are returning to Edinburgh as part of their box office UK tour Credit: Getty 3 Oasis announced their shock reunion last August Credit: PA And organisers expect 'medium to high intoxication' among a 'substantial amount of older fans', according to secret planning documents. The 70,000 fans at each show would need to neck three pints each to eclipse previous sales. And DF Concerts expect a 'spirited audience' with 'medium to high intoxication' at the Oasis gig. Figures suggest fans could guzzle more than 120,000 drinks each night, based to historic sales figures from other mega concerts at the venue. A breakdown shows beer has been particularly popular with rock fans while pop-loving punters prefer cider and wine. Entertainment guru Donald MacLeod, who helped plan Oasis' last Scottish gigs 16 years ago, said: 'Given the hospitality sector has been so brutalised by councils and government in the past few years, this is going to be a boom for many bars, pubs and restaurants in the Edinburgh area. 'I think it's going to be supersonic when they play in Edinburgh. And I hope they set a new record for alcohol sales. 'Alcohol gets the better of a few people. But I think we have to 'roll with it' and enjoy it. It's not going to be a 'champagne supernova' as such, fans are more likely to drink beer. 'Cigarettes And Alcohol is one of their greatest songs. Whilst the fans may have ditched the cigarettes, there's still plenty of alcohol there to be drunk - as long as they do it safely.' Mr MacLeod, who has an MBE for services in music and charity, promoted Oasis gigs in 2000 and 2009 together with Regular Music. Noel Gallagher looks stony-faced as he makes lonely Tube journey to Oasis rehearsals – but Liam's entrance is chaotic He added: 'I think almost everybody there will have a beer for the occasion of Oasis getting back together. It's a cause of celebration. 'But there's no way that some of these fans will be able to drink as much as they did in 2009. Things have moved on.' Papers obtained by the Scottish Sun under FOI laws show an estimated 55,000 Robbie Williams fans were expected to down 120,000 drinks at the end of May. Punters at the gig coughed up between £6 to £8 for a pint and between £8 to £12 for a glass of wine. Almost a third were sales of lager, another third cider, with the rest made up of wine, gin and tonic, and soft drinks. The former Take That singer's previous gig in June 2017 saw 48,608 people attend with 108,728 drinks sold. The Rolling Stones' gig in June 2018 saw 52,583 fans down a whopping 107,005 drinks. Council blasted for fans 'insult' by Gordon Tait MURRAYFIELD locals have blasted council chiefs for branding Oasis fans as 'fat, old, drunk and lairy'. Residents said it was insulting to 210,000 revellers expected to flock to Edinburgh in August. We previously told how officials labelled them as rowdy "middle-aged men" who "take up more room" and drink to "medium to high intoxication". Maureen McSherry, 63, of fully-booked Murrayfield Hotel, said: "The number of people and atmosphere will be good for business. What they said is a very big generalisation." Elinor Cronin, 39, of nearby Roseburn Bar, said: "The council is insulting. A minority may be rowdy, most won't be." Beyonce's 52,568 fans enjoyed 105,396 drinks at her concert in May 2023, back in 2019, 51,589 Spice Girls bought 94,701 drinks. Documents said there had been few arrests at previous Gallagher brothers gigs, but fears were raised about clashes with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. A paper noted 'concern about crowds of Oasis on weekends as they are already rowdy and the tone of the band.' It added: 'Concerned about the safety of the Fringe and its performers. Many performers are considering not attending for that weekend.' Emails show council chiefs have also been in contact with other major cities hosting Oasis gigs - including Cardiff, Manchester and Dublin - in a bid to 'share ideas' and 'best practice for the event.' The SRU and Murrayfield Experience were approached for comment.

The National

a day ago

• The National

Why regime change is required at Club 1872 not just Rangers

Popping down to his local Esso garage and picking up a box of Milk Tray and a bunch of flowers out of the bucket in the forecourt was never going to cut it. No, it took an arduous trek across the Alps in a blizzard and then three days of kneeling outside a castle in northern Italy in the snow wearing nothing more than a sackcloth for the medieval ruler, who had been excommunicated for his sacrilegious act, to be welcomed back in to the bosom of the Catholic church by his old nemesis. Henry's penitential 'Walk to Canossa' in 1077 is regarded by historians today as being the ultimate apology, the mummy and daddy of mea culpas, the gold standard of contrition. It is fair to say the amende honorable offered up by Club 1872, the Rangers supporters' group who at one point in the not-too-distant past were the second largest shareholders in the Ibrox club with a stake of 10.71 per cent, earlier this week fell some way short of it. Read more: 'We sincerely apologise to contributors for our relative silence,' read a statement on the group's official website which revealed they had held a 'very positive meeting' with new chairman Andrew Cavenagh, chief executive Patrick Stewart and other senior executives. Director Euan Macfarlane echoed that sentiment in a series of posts which he put up on the social networking website X (formerly Twitter) which gushed about Cavenagh being a 'supremely impressive individual' and stated 'we're confident in our new custodians more than ever'. He wrote, 'I would reiterate our apology for a long period of silence.' The reasons given for the complete lack of contact with their members during the past six months were 'regular changes to senior decision makers' and 'confidentiality considerations and sensitivities' while a 'live takeover' was in play. That sounded fair enough. Best not to interfere and muddy the waters during a complex and delicate process. Right? Wrong. Brassed off Bears were, unlike Pope Gregory VII when Henry IV came, quite literally, crawling a millennium ago, unwilling to forgive and forget. This is a quality family newspaper which is read by nice little old ladies and impressionable children alike. So it would be wrong to publish most of the online responses to the long overdue missive. Here, though, are a handful of replies which are printable. (Image: Ross MacDonald - SNS Group) What a waste of time for our chairman and chief executive. A new leadership team needs to take over. I am ready to pull my contribution. Hopefully you will get chased. Resign from your positions and let others take charge. Nobody trusts you. Absolute jokers. Only in it for yourselves. Crawl back under your stone. A complete reboot is required. Club 1872 was launched back in 2016 when separate fan ownership groups Rangers First and the Rangers Supporters Trust merged. Dave King and his associates had seized control of the Govan institution from a despised and distrusted regime the year before and optimism abounded. Membership and contributions steadily increased early on along with their shareholding. Their ultimate goal – to own 25 per cent plus one share and so have the power to veto any major decisions – seemed an eminently achievable objective during those heady days. It did not take long, however, for things to unravel in spectacular fashion. Complaints about communication, transparency, governance and independence have been rife since. The number of members has nosedived as the unhappiness with the group's stewardship has risen. An acrimonious attempt to oust the board four years ago resulted in the police being called in. Those who currently hold sway undoubtedly, regardless of the frequent accusations which have been levelled against them, want Club 1872 to play a key role at Rangers moving forward and the Ibrox club to flourish on and off the park. But there is no future for the organisation with its current custodians in place due to the distrust which, rightly or wrongly, exists among the support. Regime change is required. Read more: The Fan Advisory Board (FAB) have shown they are an independent body and are far from toothless since coming into being two years ago. Their actions during the Graeme Souness tifo row last season, to give just one example, underlined that. They let directors know in no uncertain terms what they thought of their condemnatory statement and swiftly made that public. Some supporters would be happy to continue with just FAB representing their interests and feel it would be for the best if Club 1872 sold up and closed down. But far too much money has been spent by far too many people for far too long for that to happen. Plus, being a significant shareholder gives them, even with a new owners snapping up a 51 per cent stake, a different kind of influence. Rangers fans are positively ebullient just now about what lies ahead under the 'supremely impressive individuals' who will take control at an EGM in Glasgow on Monday morning. With good reason. The new hierarchy seem to have the ambition, the means and the smarts to make a real difference. That said, there was mass euphoria when Craig Whyte came in, when Charles Green took over and when King rode to the rescue. It remains important for supporters to wield some power going forward. This honeymoon period won't last forever. But a Papal pardon wouldn't absolve the current Club 1872 directors from their sins, real or imagined, of the past.

Daily Record

2 days ago

• Daily Record

Oasis Liam and Noel Gallagher snapped together for unexpected TV announcement as fans go wild

It's the first time the Gallagher brothers have been pictured together since announcing their Oasis Live '25 reunion tour Oasis made an unexpected television announcement to fans during a Channel 4 ad-break on Thursday evening. Liam and Noel Gallagher were snapped together for the first time since they announced their highly anticipated reunion tour last year. Oasis are set to embark on their first tour in 16 years later this summer. Last August, the brothers sent fans into a frenzy as they confirmed they would be reuniting for Oasis Live '25. Yesterday, Adidas teased on X that "something is coming". ‌ The iconic sportswear brand shared a teaser clip which featured snapshots of archived footage from Oasis gigs. Fans also spied one of the duo wearing an Adidas leather jacket which had the logo "live '25' on the back and the phrase "The band with the 3 stripes". ‌ The brand then released an 'adidas Originals X Oasis' video which aired during the ad-break of Taskmaster on Channel 4 at 9pm. The video announced the band's collaboration with Adidas ahead of their world tour with fans able to snatch up exclusive Oasis merch, including tracksuits, jerseys, bucket hats and coach jackets, the Liverpool Echo reports. The clip was captioned: "The brand. The band. The legacy lives on. After 30 years of shared history, Adidas Originals and Oasis join forces to celebrate an undisputed connection rooted in music, fashion and British identity. "Original Forever is more than a campaign. It's a nod to a moment, a movement and a time that defined it all. With the return of the band for Live 25', the collaboration brings a new era of looks into the now, reworking era-defining silhouettes with a modern edge. "From Firebird tracksuits to classic jerseys and jackets, the Live 25' collection honours the past while living in the present. This film captures a journey from the city streets to stadiums, 90s anthems to the now. It's a tribute to two brothers, two icons, one band, and a brand that's been with them every step of the way." ‌ Excited fans raced to the comments after the announcement was uploaded on X as one exclaimed: "The boys are back, let's go!" A second enthusiastic user wrote: "Wow. Just wow." Meanwhile a third chimed in: "Beautifully done.. Oasis forever." A fourth was left moved by the announcement as they penned: "Who got goosebumps while watching?" Oasis will play Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium for three dates on Friday, August 8, Saturday, August 9 and Tuesday, August 12. The band will also perform in Cardiff, Manchester, London and Dublin this summer and have confirmed shows outside of Europe too in Toronto, Chicago, East Rutherford, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Seoul, Tokyo, Melbourne, Sydney, Buenos Aires, Santiago and São Paulo. Their upcoming gigs will be the first time Oasis have played since their August 2009 performance at V Festival in Staffordshire. Noel famously quit later that month after a back-stage fight broke out between the brothers before they were due to go on stage in Paris. Both Liam and Noel have had success with their solo careers since the band split in 2009 with ten UK number 1 albums between them as well as countless festival headline sets and stadium and arena shows.