University Press Club


About University Press Club

The University Press Club is a select group of Princeton University undergraduates that are committed to their trade and have a strong enthusiasm for journalism. Professional writers and reporters, such as Vox, The Washington Post, and The New York Times, contribute to regional and national media. The club is one of the oldest student groups at Princeton University, having been established in 1900. 

Members of the UPC have served as “Princeton correspondents” for news organizations, periodicals, wire services, and broadcast media for more than 100 years. We have partnerships with regional, national, and international media as part of our professional ties. For their work, all members of UPC are paid. To enhance our member’s experience, we also organize social events and lectures with well-known journalists, academics, and politicians.  

University Press Club

The UPC is a group of Princeton University UG’s who freelance professionally for local, national, and regional publications. It is the only student-run organization in the country that is similar to this. Former Press Club members have gone on to become Pulitzer Prize winners and work as journalists for publications including Forbes, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, The Washington Post, and The New York Times. In addition to working as freelancers, members of the Press Club also run a blog called The Ink where they cover Princeton University activities.

University Press Club- Traditions

Dean’s Date Live Blog

A live blog is updated by members of the University Press Club two times a year, 24 hours prior to Dean’s Date. Funny memes that members create when they finish their final exams, amusing glimpses into their inner thoughts, and clever updates regarding Dean’s Date customs like the Whitman Wail and the Holder Howl may all be found there. 

Rukeyser Memorial Lecture Series 

The University Press Club invites well-known journalists who are influencing the media landscape of today to provide talks and guidance to students at Princeton University. 

UPC Reunions

UPC alumni and club members get together on campus each spring for reunions to celebrate their time as members of the organization, build relationships, and share their passion for journalism.  

University Press Club: Know About UPC, Tradition, History and How can you Join?

History of UPC

Undergraduate journalists who covered stories for newspapers all throughout the nation launched the Press Club in April 1900. The idea behind the club was to be a group reporting project where members would pool quotations and leads and membership would be offered to the highest bidder. The Club instituted a candidates period application procedure in 1915.

Candidates would confer with existing club members over a three-month period in order to ultimately submit three folders containing complete news items. The campus weekly student newspaper, the Nassau Weekly, was started in 1979 by a group of Press Club members.