Informative and hard-hitting. Scandalous and satirical. Unbiased. Very, very biased. However you like your news, students of the U of C will deliver it to you à la carte.

Though we don’t boast an official J-School like our friends up north, the University offers plenty of opportunities for aspiring reporters, critics, photographers, illustrators, designers, and editors.

In a nutshell,  you should always read the Maroon, always, and make it your go-to for the latest news. Meanwhile, the Shady Dealer will make you guffaw during a lonely Bartlett dinner. You can secretly read Vita’s erotica behind your Core Bio book. And, of course, whenever you want to avoid that awkward guy in your Hum class, hide behind and maybe even read any of these invaluable publications:

The Chicago Maroon, the “official” independently-run student newspaper of the University of Chicago, is one of the oldest college papers in the U.S., dating all the way back to 1892. Published on Tuesdays and Fridays, the paper boasts famous alumni that include New York Times columnist David Brooks, Obama senior adviser David Axelrod, and former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. It also publishes the quarterly magazine Grey City as well as special issues (a historical issue in the winter and a graduation issue in the spring).

The Chicago Weekly, the alternative weekly on campus, specializes in South Side arts and culture. Published every Wednesday, the Weekly also covers local happenings and news usually untouched by mainstream media, as well as longer, more extensive narratives and essays. The “Independent Voice of the University of Chicago” enjoys a mentorship relationship with Newcity Communications, its publisher, which is also inserted into every issue.

We always give thanks for the Shady Dealer, aka the U of C’s Onion and one of our own “reasons for living.” The “Intentional Humor Publication” is the most trusted name in fake news on campus, producing features like “How to Seduce a Prospie” or “Play-Doh Releases Its Republic.” Whether you want solace from a light-hearted perspective or a break from a cram session, the Shady Dealer is guaranteed to make you chuckle.

Sliced Bread is an arts and literary magazine heading into its seventh year of publishing student material. Sliced Bread issues a call for submission in the fall and prints about 100 pages of short stories, poetry, non-fiction, paintings, drawings, and photography in the spring. The magazine sometimes teams up with Fire Escape Films to includes a bonus CD of student work, entitled “Fire Bread.”

WHPK 88.5 FM is the non-profit community radio station of the U of C, Hyde Park, and the South Side at large. Though largely dedicated to broadcasting music from literally every genre and period, WHPK also hosts a public affairs format of neighborhood news and views in a couple of talk shows.

UCTV is the brand new student-run TV station, set to feature U of C campus life and happenings both online and on television. Rumors and hype around the station began circulating winter quarter last year, before the founders turned their idea into an RSO. But what really sealed the deal was winning more than $6,000 of Uncommon Fund cash in March. After a successful launch broadcasting the first football game of the season on September 1, UCTV is still on the lookout for more talent for its programming.

U of C’s famous spirit of discourse is reflected in the nonpartisan quarterly The Midway Review, which publishes political and cultural commentary and criticism. The journal offers a forum for undergrad pieces on current events and more abstract topics to be featured side-by-side submissions from graduate students, faculty, and alumni.

Vita Excolatur, which borrows its name from the second half of the University motto, can either mean “the life well-lived” or “grow more,” befitting to the magazine’s exploration of sexuality. The now (in)famous magazine has been under the limelight since its first issue in 2004. Students can submit proposals of projects (photography, visual art, photo pieces) centered around a quarterly theme. Vita’s mission is to educate, express, and reclaim “that vital aspect of human identity which binds us together in the life well-lived.”

Should your interests fit in a more defined niche, other U of C publications often have specific demographics or subjects:

The Chicago Art Journal is an annual publication, run by graduate students and funded by the Department of Art History and the Division of the Humanities.

Chicago Business Web is an online publication run by Booth School of Business students.

Blacklight Magazine began as an offshoot of the Organization of Black Students, publishing views and beliefs of black students and Hyde Park community members.

The Chicago Studies Annual Journal publishes original research conducted by undergraduate students, as part of the Chicago Studies program.

Students help run the College Website, which contains all information about campus life for students, from first-years to grad students.

Counterpoint is the campus quarterly conservative magazine, touching on topics both on the quads and beyond.

Diskord is an online magazine that serves as an outlet for progressive students to shed light on their causes and provide in-depth analyses of current events.

The Euphony Journal is a biannual literary magazine that publishes some work from students, but most of the content is submitted from outside the University from domestic and international authors, both professional and amateur.

MODA Magazine is the fashion magazine produced by the RSO of the same name. It is published twice annually and features student writers, models, designers, and photographers.

Noyes Magazine is a twice-quarterly publication targeted at the stylish student looking for the next big thing in Chicago. Each issue has a different trendy theme.

The Platypus Review is a monthly publication that is a branch of the Platypus Affiliated Society­—an international Marxist leftist group that originated at the U of C.

The Triple Helix at the University of Chicago is just one branch of the international science, business, policy, ethics, and law society. Each edition is separated into two parts: Half consists of internationally recognized papers, while the other half are papers written solely by U of C members.

The University Community Service Center accepts articles that take recent national events into a local perspective as a part of its Civic Journalism program.

For those who’d like in on the action, U of C’s mediasphere is mostly inclusive and welcomes new staff and submissions. But if you’re a diehard news junkie or an aspiring writer, consider visiting UChicago Careers in Journalism (UCIJ). This Career Advancement program (see page 24) is an excellent resource for student publication guidance, résumé touch-ups and tips, as well as internships. UCIJ also coordinates events, visits, guest speakers, and meet-ups for the burgeoning U of C journalist.