The Hoya is currently Georgetown's oldest student newspaper, established in 1920. It publishes a print issue every Friday throughout the school year and also posts articles online1.
Founding
In 1919, The Hilltopper was established to provide journalism students with an opportunity to experience newspaper work2, at least according to an early edition of the Hoya. A 2003 article, by contrast, dismissed The Hilltopper as "a small, gossipy newspaper"3. The paper soon folded, but it helped lay the foundation for the Hoya, which published its first issue on January 14, 1920.
The Hoya joined a campus that already featured a well-established student publication, the Georgetown College Journal. The Hoya distinguished itself with its focus on campus news and opinion; the College Journal had notably less reporting and often featured creative writing submissions. The College Journal maintained its literary orientation and continued to publish as recently as the 2000s4.
History
Named the Collegiate Newspaper of the Year in 19305, the Hoya was an instant success. It was also "the only major extracurricular activity maintained through World War II", highlighting its importance to the Georgetown community6.
Though the Hoya quickly established itself as the campus's paper of record, an upstart competitor challenged that status in the late 1960s. Amidst growing student activism and frustration at the Hoya's limited coverage of off-campus events, former Hoya writer Steve Pisinski (CAS '71) spearheaded the creation of The Georgetown Voice7. In response to its new competitor, the Hoya committed to expanded coverage of off-campus events and a more liberal editorial tone in keeping with student views8. The Hoya sought a merger of the two papers in 1970, arguing that the reasons for the split had been resolved9, but the Voice declined the proposal10. Both publications are still operating; the Hoya describes itself as "the university's newspaper of record since 1920"11.
Even with its new competitor, the Hoya continued to play a leading role in the campus media landscape over the following decades. It launched its website in 199812, where the publication now posts articles daily to supplement its weekly edition.
In 2003, Hoya staffers raised independence for the publication in meetings with administrators13. However, the publication's name proved a sticking point, as administrators expressed concern over protecting the university's brand — even applying to trademark The Hoya's logo in summer 200614. The Hoya and the university administration nonetheless made progress on independence negotiations in 2008 and 2009, nearly reaching an agreement on the publication's independence15. However, an April Fool's issue featuring insensitive and ill-advised headlines resulted in a sit-in at The Hoya's office and sanctions from the campus Media Board delaying the publication's independence16. While The Hoya could have become independent after the sanctions expired, it delayed the decision due to financial reasons and remains affiliated with the university today17.
The Hoya celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2020.
Structure
The Hoya's news section provides reporting about on-campus events, while the features section features a mix of commentary and reporting. The sports section covers both Georgetown teams and professional sports. The Guide features reviews of music, movies, and others. The opinion section features columns, submissions from the Georgetown community, and editorials from the Hoya's Editorial Board. The Hoya's newest section, which launched in the spring 2023 semester, is the Science section, featuring coverage of and commentary on science-related topics.
- 1The Hoya, About Us. https://thehoya.com/about-us/.
- 2"Future Wattersons in the Making Here." The Hoya. 5 February 1920.
- 3Regan-Sachs, Rebecca. "Recording Traditions." The Hoya. 4 November 2003.
- 4Wind, Eric. "The greatest campus publications you aren't reading." The Georgetown Voice. 22 January 2009.
- 5Murugesan, Vidhya. "Hoya History From the Twenties to Today." The Hoya. 14 January 2005.
- 6Murugesan, Vidhya. "Hoya History From the Twenties to Today." The Hoya. 14 January 2005.
- 7Hamilton, Caroline and Roman Peregrino. "Volume 1 Issue 1: The First Years of The Georgetown Voice." The Georgetown Voice. 3 April 2019.
- 8"Hoya Board Raises McNeil To Editorship." The Hoya. 8 May 1969.
- 9"HOYA Calls For Merger With Voice." The Hoya. 12 November 1970.
- 10Hamilton, Caroline and Roman Peregrino. "Volume 1 Issue 1: The First Years of The Georgetown Voice." The Georgetown Voice. 3 April 2019.
- 11The Hoya, About Us. https://thehoya.com/about-us/.
- 12Murugesan, Vidhya. "Hoya History From the Twenties to Today." The Hoya. 14 January 2005.
- 13Editorial Board. "Freedom of the Press: The Hoya's struggle to buck the University." The Georgetown Voice. 10 September 2009.
- 14Editorial Board. "Freedom of the Press: The Hoya's struggle to buck the University." The Georgetown Voice. 10 September 2009.
- 15Editorial Board. "Freedom of the Press: The Hoya's struggle to buck the University." The Georgetown Voice. 10 September 2009.
- 16Editorial Board. "Freedom of the Press: The Hoya's struggle to buck the University." The Georgetown Voice. 10 September 2009.
- 17Tao, Holly. "Hoya defers independence, reflects on diversity progress." The Georgetown Voice. 21 April 2010.
