Established in 1980, The Mercury has worked to inform, educate and entertain the students of UTD through accurate and representative journalism for four decades. But for Comets outside the publication, it may not be clear how exactly the paper operates.
The Mercury Newspaper is a part of Student Media, an independent Student Affairs department which includes other student organizations like AMP, RadioUTD and UTD TV. Unlike other Student Affairs departments, Student Media is exclusively student-led, and these are the only student organizations that provide paid university employment.
The Mercury is an award-winning publication on the local and national level. Most recently, The Mercury was awarded first place in Best Newspaper in 2021 and Best Campus Engagement in 2023 by the national Collegiate Media Association.
Our 40 members develop each newspaper on a biweekly cycle, starting with a pitch meeting where ideas are workshopped and stories assigned to each writer. Staff members diligently keep track of current events, while the editorial board and management ensure articles are properly edited.
Occasionally, departments and students themselves will reach out to editors via email to suggest story ideas. If you want a story or subject covered, you should email an editor — contact information is on utdmercury.com/contact-us — or reach out to us through social media. We can be reached on Instagram, Facebook, X and LinkedIn.
Once stories are approved by the Editor-in-Chief, staff will begin to reach out to students, faculty and other individuals that relate to their story for interviews. Most interviews are in-person and on campus, focused on gathering quotes and information.
At the beginning of each semester and throughout the summer, The Mercury opens employment opportunities for student writers, photographers and artists of all backgrounds and majors to cover news, life and arts, research, sports and student opinions.
Students or faculty interested in writing opinions on any campus perspective can submit an op-ed to the opinion editor or submit a Letter to the Editor to the Editor-in-Chief. Op-eds are students’ way of communicating your opinions through our newspaper and website, while anyone can write a Letter to the Editor in response to a Mercury article.
For more information about The Mercury or how you can get more involved with Student Media, you can contact the Editor-in-Chief at editor@utdmercury.com. For inquiries on advertisements for our physical paper or website, you can visit our website for more information and see how to apply for student or faculty discount rates.
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