A Requiem for Student Media.

University student media has always been an entry point for students to test their voices. Their pages are soaked with attitude, platitude, anger, truth and art. It’s where we hold those in power accountable and advocate for the less powerful. A place where we develop skills, network, and build friendships. Helping us preserve our culture and history, teaching us critical thinking and helping us find our voice. It is a vital part of campus culture and student development.

When Voluntary Student Unionism was introduced by the Howard Coalition government in 2006, student publications were starved of funding from student fees. This damaged student media, with publications reducing is frequency and size. Covid has had a similar impact on publications, with very few students on campus, making it harder to reach an audience. With some publications reducing their frequency.

Both of these have played major roles in the execution of the student voice.

In 2024, UniSA and The University of Adelaide announced plans to merge by 2026 becoming Adelaide University. USASA announced that it would cease publication of its magazine Verse at the end of 2025 (Established in 2014). However, there has been no announcement on the future of The University of Adelaide’s magazine, On Dit. A student magazine that has been in operation for almost a century. Nor has there been any announcement on what student media will look like within the new university.

You may think this won’t affect you, as it’s not Flinders. But when we start losing student voices, we all lose. If On Dit goes, we don’t just lose a publication; we lose a community, we lose history, we lose an important voice.

I contacted both the UniSA USASA Student President, Oliver Shephard-Bayly, and the Adelaide Uni’s YouX Student President, Merlin Wang, to gather their comments on this matter.

Both agree that student media is an integral part of University life. Playing a crucial role in the opportunities for the student voice. However, discussions on how this conjoined student media will look are still ongoing, and the role On Dit will play is still unknown.

“We’re committed to ensuring student media continues to thrive in the merged institution and are advocating for a model that preserves editorial independence and meaningful student engagement“
- 2025 USASA Student President, Oliver Shephard-Bayly

Wang assured us that they intend to have student media up and running for the 2026 academic year.
I reached out to the 2025 On Dit editors, but they declined to comment.

I contacted some representatives from Flinders University about their thoughts on student media and the future of Empire Times.

I heard back from Jodie Zada (Director of Student Life) and Professor Romy Lawson (Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor).

Both Zada and Lawson agreed that Student Media had a long tradition of platforming the student voice. And that it is an essential part of the University and student body.

I also contacted the 2025 Flinders University Student Association President, Nathaniel Winter, but unfortunately, I did not hear back in time.

Some thoughts from former On Dit editors.

Elizabeth Flux’s degree was in the Sciences, and she was editor in 2011. She stated that “Student media is a way of allowing students not only to be heard, but to develop skills and interests outside the confines of study.” Adding

“Not everyone enters university knowing what job they will end up doing, and university should be about more than simply getting a degree.”
- Elizabeth Flux, On Dit Editor, 2011.

Niha Gyawali was an international student who contributed to On Dit and then served as Guest Editor for the 2023 edition of ‘Elle Dit’. She said Student media “is a common platform for students across diverse degrees to come together.” For Gyawal, participating in On Dit helped her feel a sense of belonging and provided an opportunity to connect with people who shared similar interests.

Sam Franzway was a sub-editor between 2000 and 2002. For him, being part of On Dit felt like a privilege as he got to contribute to what made university culture interesting and valuable.

Sebastian Andrew was editor in 2023; for him, it meant contributing a chapter to the rich history of a longstanding University. Stating, “I guess On Dit is a tree and my time as editor is my initials carved into it.”

Among the past editors, there is a strong belief that poor management has hindered the magazine’s success, characterised by unreliable publishing schedules, weaker content, and declining interest. Gyawal added that student reps using On Dit as a political tool also contributed to its deterioration.

“like most things which add diversity and share power and voice around Australian universities [it is] fading or disappearing.”
- Sam Franzway, On Dit Sub-Editor 2000 and 2002

Adding “…‘boring and small’ won the day when an almost 100-year-old student publication shuts down.”

Andrews said, “The On Dit of today seems like a hollow shell of what it once was”, and he fears “…that even if the new student magazine keeps its name, the damage has been done.” Andrews was not shy about pointing the finger directly at YouX President Merlin Wang. I did reach out to Wang for his response, but did not hear back.

Whatever the outcome for On Dit, it is clear that a mass restructuring of how they vote, run and advertise is needed. These things should change and develop over time as the world around them changes. And perhaps that is one of YouX’s most significant failings with On Dit. Let’s hope that a decision will be reached soon so that the 2026 students of this new University are not silenced.

Final Thoughts:

Good student media only works when intelligent debate is allowed and critical thinking is encouraged. No voice is more important than the other (Left, right, centre).

The university community is a diverse ecosystem, and its media coverage should reflect this. Good journalism is a mixture of what the reader wants to know and what they need to know.

The divide between student politics and student media should be as sacred as the separation of church and state. The political agenda of a student council or student representative committee, the union/association and the board should always be separate. They should never run together, should never align 100%, and should not be subjected to influence or manipulation.

This raises the question: Why are Flinders’ potential editors required to run a political campaign to get elected? This should be a merit-based role you apply for, with more opportunities for sub-editors to join and grow as part of a team, ultimately becoming editors.

By Evangelia Karageorgos