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A number of ''On Dit'' editors have over the years gone on to work for the local daily newspaper, [[The Advertiser (Adelaide)]]. These have included Samantha Maiden, Colin G. Kerr, Mark Davis, Richard Ogier, David Mussared, Rosemary O'Grady, David Walker, David Penberthy and Samela Harris.
A number of ''On Dit'' editors have over the years gone on to work for the local daily newspaper, [[The Advertiser (Adelaide)]]. These have included Samantha Maiden, Colin G. Kerr, Mark Davis, Richard Ogier, David Mussared, Rosemary O'Grady, David Walker, David Penberthy and Samela Harris.


Many former ''On Dit'' editors and staff have also gone on to work for the [[Fairfax Media]] group. These have included John Sandeman, Moya Dodd, Tim Dodd, Mark Davis, Peter White and John Tanner. Other ''On Dit'' editors to go on and work in the media have included Nonee Walsh, Roy Leaney, and Michael Jacobs.
Many former ''On Dit'' editors and staff have also gone on to work for the [[Fairfax Media]] group. These have included John Sandeman, Moya Dodd, Tim Dodd, Mark Davis, Peter White and John Tanner. Other ''On Dit'' editors to go on and work in the media have included Nonee Walsh, Roy Leaney, Jane Willcox, and Michael Jacobs.


A number of editors have gone on to work in the education sector and work as educationists and academics. These have included educator and feminist Helen Craven (nee Wighton); historian [[John Bannon]] AO, educationist Neile Osman; and academics Herbert W. Piper, Jeff Scott, Dr. Andrew Gleeson, Leslie Finlay Crisp, Adjunct Professor Richard Broinowski, Paul Washington, Law Professor Julian Disney AO, Clinical Associate Professor Jonathan Gillis, Peter Otto, and Jacqui Dibden.
A number of editors have gone on to work in the education sector and work as educationists and academics. These have included educator and feminist Helen Craven (nee Wighton); historian [[John Bannon]] AO, educationist Neile Osman; and academics Herbert W. Piper, Jeff Scott, Dr. Andrew Gleeson, Leslie Finlay Crisp, Adjunct Professor Richard Broinowski, Paul Washington, Law Professor Julian Disney AO, Clinical Associate Professor Jonathan Gillis, Peter Otto, and Jacqui Dibden.

Revision as of 06:27, 20 November 2007

On Dit is a newspaper published by the Students' Association of the University of Adelaide, which appears fortnightly during semester time. Founded in 1932, it is the second oldest student newspaper in Australia.

Its title is French and has a number of different translations. These include "so I hear", "what the people are saying", "one says", "they say", "we say", "people say", and "hearsay". The latter was a variation title of the newspaper back in 1972 when due to French nuclear testing in the Pacific, the editors refused to use the paper's original French language title, opting for one of its English translations.

The newspaper began as two page broadsheet and within a few years quickly grew to four pages. It's 1937 editors Helen Wighton and Finlay L. Crisp were such a great editorial team that they later married. During World War II, the paper was not published during the years 1942 and 1943.

While the paper charged a low price to its readers in its first decades, it switched to free distribution in the 1960s, and remains so to this day, supporting itself with advertising and funds from the student union budget.

Prior to 2007, in a typical year there were two or three paid editors, elected by the student body the previous year, who planned the paper. The paid editors were assisted by unpaid sub-editors, columnists and other contributors who research and write individual sections. On Dit is unusual among student papers in that for much of its existence it has remained independent of the prevailing political parties on campus. For 2007, the Student Union voted to remove salaries from the editors. Because of Voluntary Student Unionism, the editors now have to secure all their funding from advertising space; the paper has gone from a weekly to a fortnightly.

On Dit celebrated its 21st Anniversary in 1953, its 25th Anniversary in 1957, its 50th Anniversary in 1982, and in 2007 celebrated its Diamond or 75th Anniversary.

A number of On Dit editors have over the years gone on to work for the local daily newspaper, The Advertiser (Adelaide). These have included Samantha Maiden, Colin G. Kerr, Mark Davis, Richard Ogier, David Mussared, Rosemary O'Grady, David Walker, David Penberthy and Samela Harris.

Many former On Dit editors and staff have also gone on to work for the Fairfax Media group. These have included John Sandeman, Moya Dodd, Tim Dodd, Mark Davis, Peter White and John Tanner. Other On Dit editors to go on and work in the media have included Nonee Walsh, Roy Leaney, Jane Willcox, and Michael Jacobs.

A number of editors have gone on to work in the education sector and work as educationists and academics. These have included educator and feminist Helen Craven (nee Wighton); historian John Bannon AO, educationist Neile Osman; and academics Herbert W. Piper, Jeff Scott, Dr. Andrew Gleeson, Leslie Finlay Crisp, Adjunct Professor Richard Broinowski, Paul Washington, Law Professor Julian Disney AO, Clinical Associate Professor Jonathan Gillis, Peter Otto, and Jacqui Dibden.

Prominent past editors include former South Australia State Premier John Bannon AO; Elliot Frank Johnston QC; author Garry Disher; former ALP state politician Peter Duncan (Australian politician); former South Australian MLC and election candidate for Federal Parliament Nick Xenophon; former vice-captain of the Australia women's national football (soccer) team Moya Dodd; poet Max Harris AO; long-time The Advertiser (Adelaide) journalist Samela Harris and David Penberthy, former The Advertiser (Adelaide) journalist and the current editor of The Daily Telegraph in Sydney.

Prominent people who have contributed to or written for On Dit include Deputy ALP leader Julia Gillard, novelist Sean Williams (author), Democrat Senator Natasha Stott-Despoja, former ALP state politician Gordon Bilney, playright Joe Penhall, Greens candidate Sarah Hanson-Young, film critic Peter Crayford, and ALP Senator Penny Wong.

During the 1950s and 1960s the paper attempted to resemble a professionally designed newspaper. This evolved into the Dynasty era during the 1970s and 1980s. During the latter, the paper broke major stories. By this time, On Dit had developed a very good reputation both within the state and nationally . On Dit was considered an alternative vehicle to attending media schools for budding reporters

For many years the paper was printed in a tabloid format on standard newsprint. This was changed to a magazine (half-tabloid newsprint) format early in 2006 to help the paper cope with financial uncertainty brought about by Voluntary student unionism. A special edition entitled Elle Dit, written primarily or exclusively by women, is also produced. In more recent years the paper has better resembled other free street press, though with more artistic (or at any rate abstract) covers, usually eschewing headlines, and a focus more broadly on commentary, politics and pop culture than on the popular music common to the format.