What is Cherwell?
Cherwell is the independent student newspaper of Oxford University. Founded in 1920 by students Cecil Binney and George Edinger, it is published every Friday during term, with around 3,000 copies distributed around the Oxford colleges, the Oxford Union, department buildings, and local cafes.
In addition to our award-winning news, opinion, and culture content, Cherwell provides an essential guide to what’s on in Oxford. The paper, which was the only independent newspaper published during the 1926 General Strike, remains a crucial guide to life as an Oxford University student.
The staff of Cherwell, named after one of the city’s two rivers, changes every term. Cherwell.org was launched in 1996 to give the newspaper a web presence, receiving a Guardian Student Media award in 2011.
Independent since 1920
Cherwell is one of only a few student publications that is completely independent – that is, totally unaffiliated with the student union. This status, along with the paper’s quality and history, guarantees student trust in the newspaper.
Cherwell is wholly owned by a Oxford Student Publications Ltd. (OSPL), an entirely student-run company devoted to the promotion of student journalism. OSPL also publishes the magazines ISIS, Bang!, and an independent freshers’ guide Keep Off The Grass.
The weekly publication of Cherwell during term time, and the continued vitality of the paper during university vacations, is testament to the hard work and dedication of the Cherwell staff and the OSPL team which make it possible. As the paper approaches its centenary, the paper’s strengths continue to grow in an ever-changing landscape.
You can read more about the history of the paper here.
Roles
The paper is led by two editors and five deputy editors, who collectively form the Senior Editorial team. The editors are responsible for the design and overall mission of the paper during their term; alongside the deputy editors, they also subedit and put together the paper.
All content for the paper is commissioned by a team of around 30 section editors, who, working in pairs, commission content for the various sections of the newspaper. Section editors are supported by deputy section editors, who serve as regular contributors to their sections.
OSPL staff are responsible for the business side of the newspaper. This involves managing the technical requirements of the newspaper, working with advertisers, and protecting and promoting the Cherwell brand.
All staff working for Cherwell are active university students, who dedicate their spare time to the newspaper. You can find the staff this term here.
Recent Editors
Michaelmas 2018: Greg Ritchie and Oscar Baker
Trinity 2018: Matthew Roller and Fred Dimbleby
Hilary 2018: Ethan Croft and Susie Goldsbrough
Michaelmas 2017: Akshay Bilolikar and Jack Hunter
Trinity 2017: Daniel Curtis and Tony Diver
Hilary 2017: Ellen Peirson-Hagger and Marianna Spring
Michaelmas 2016: Daniel Kodsi and Daniel Sutton
Trinity 2016: Harry Gosling and Tristan Upton
Hilary 2016: Henry Shalders and Tom Hall
Michaelmas 2015: Oliver Johnson and Tom Barrie
Trinity 2015: Tom Carter and Georgia Latham
Hilary 2015: Robert Walmsley and Luke Barratt
Michaelmas 2014: Samuele Volpe and Ella Richards
Trinity 2014: Max Long and Joe Iles
Hilary 2014: Rowan Borchers and April Peaks
Michaelmas 2013: Nick Hilton and Anna Leszkiewicz
Trinity 2013: Tom Beardsworth and William Pimlott
Hilary 2013: Imogen Beecroft and Anthony Collins
Michaelmas 2012: Barbara Speed and Grace Goddard
Trinity 2012: Rachel Savage and Vicky Lim
Hilary 2012: Helen Pye and Sophie Jamieson
Michaelmas 2011: Agnes Arnold-Forster and Bethan McKernan
Trinity 2011: James Gibson and Camilla Turner
Hilary 2011: India Lenon and Alistair Smouth
Michaelmas 2010: Sam Hawkins and Georgia Lindsay
Trinity 2010: Theo Merz and Harry Phillips
Hilary 2010: Victoria Morrison, Marta Szczerba and Antonia Tam
Michaelmas 2009: Theo Brainin and Harry Thompson
Trinity 2009: Gini Sharvill and Derek Tan
Hilary 2009: Michael Bennett and Sian Cox-Brooker
Michaelmas 2008: Chris Baranuik
Trinity 2008: Henry Clarke Price
Hilary Term 2008: Laura Pitel and Tom Seymour
Michaelmas Term 2007: Sophie Manning and Peter Wright
Trinity Term 2007: Willa Brown and James Rogers
Hilary Term 2007: Ian Duncan and Catherine Rutter
Michaelmas Term 2006: Paul Hinds and Alex Stewart
Trinity Term 2006: Emily Gosden and Kate Tolley
Hilary Term 2006: Andrew Dagnell and Jonathan Theodore
Michaelmas Term 2005: Luke Alexander and George Davies
Trinity Term 2005: Venetia Ansell and Daniel Bennett
Hilary Term 2005: Ben Coffer and Jack Fanning
Michaelmas Term 2004: Robert Crowe
Trinity Term 2004: Elaina Evans and Aled George
Hilary Term 2004: Rowena Mason
Michaelmas Term 2003: Hannah Charlick and Torsten Henricson-Bell
Trinity Term 2003: Waleed Ghani
Hilary Term 2003: Josh Goodman
Michaelmas Term 2002: Nicholas Randall and James Kettle
Trinity Term 2002: Niall Stewart (resigned) and Andrew Sutton
Hilary Term 2002: Marcus Edwards and Meera Sabaratnam
Michaelmas Term 2001: Jon Boone
Trinity Term 2001: Andrew Morris and William Shuckbrugh
Hilary Term 2001: Charlie Talbot
Michaelmas 2000: David McNeill and Jenny Finch
Trinity Term 2000: Andrew Alexander
Hilary Term 2000: Richard Colebourn and Michelle Teo
Michaelmas Term 1999: Matt Brindley and Chris Tryhorn
Trinity Term 1999: Tim Robey
Hilary Term 1999: Rachel Williams
Michaelmas Term 1998: Hadley Freeman
Trinity Term 1998: Louise Knowles and Alex von Tunzelmann
Hilary Term 1998: Ross Hawkins
Michaelmas Term 1997: Rishi Dastidar
Trinity Term 1997: Lindsey Harrad
Hilary Term 1997: Becky Lloyd
Michaelmas Term 1996: Chris Philp and Justin Huggler
Trinity Term 1996: Jat Gill and David Black
Hilary Term 1996: Lucie Whitehouse and Jeffrey Gettleman
Michaelmas Term 1995: Emma Brockes, Nick Mountfield and Conal Walsh
Trinity Term 1995: Dermot Canterbury and Paul J Taylor
Hilary Term 1995: Lucy Manning, Dov Waxman and James Tozer
Michaelmas Term 1994: Nadia Hall, Ilsa Godlovitch and James Erskine
Trinity Term 1994: Michael Peel and Ben Cohen
Hilary Term 1994: Nick Gibbons, Tom Penn, Chris Taylor
Michaelmas Term 1993: Oliver August, Niels Bryan Low, James Carter
If you’d like to be added to this list, please get in touch with the editors.
Recent OSPL Chairmen
18 – 19: Daanial Chaudhry
17 – 18: India Barrett
16 – 17: Daniel Kodsi, Mack Grenfell, Louis Walker
15 – 16: Steven Spisto
14 – 15: Mack Grenfell
13 – 14: Jonny Adams
12 – 13: Max Bossino
11 – 12: Rohan Sakhrani
10 – 11: Robert Morris, Mark Brakel
9 – 10: Victoria Morrison, Phoebe Arnold
8 – 9: Jacob Rawel, Christopher Stylianou, Pippa Lamb
7 – 8: Ran Wei
Other alumni
Edward Heath
Evelyn Waugh
Graham Greene
John Betjeman
Harold Acton
L. P. Hartley
Cecil Day-Lewis
W. H. Auden
Arthur David Beaty (Editor)
Rupert Murdoch (OSPL)
Michael Heseltine (OSPL)
Rony Robinson (Editor)
Roger Laughton (Editor)
Tim Heald
David English (Editor)
Peter Preston (Editor)
Nicholas Lloyd (Editor)
Susan Cooper (Editor)
Patrick Marnham (Editor)
Martin Linton (Editor)
Sarah Boyd-Carpenter (Editor)
Jeffrey Archer (Sports columnist)
Simon Jenkins (Oxford Union correspondent)
Peter Sissons (Sports editor, 1963)
Howard Davies
Peter Mandelson
Alex Cox (cartoonist)
Sarah Hargreaves (Editor)
H. S. Bhabra (Arts Editor;)
Martin Sixsmith (Editor)
Michael Crick (Editor)
Evan Davis
Christina Lamb
Nick Cohen (“John Evelyn”)
Emma Brockes (Editor
Chris Taylor (Editor)
Owen Matthews (“John Evelyn”)
John Brooke-Little (Editor)
Hadley Freeman (Editor)
Editorial complaints
Cherwell subscribes to the codes and practices of the Independent Press Standards Organisation. Though our editors strive for accuracy, occasionally mistakes do happen. The editors welcome your comments and endeavour to print corrections where appropriate.
We take editorial complaints seriously, and will endeavour to respond to any within 30 days. Please address all complaints to the editors.
Company Information
Oxford Student Publications Ltd is a company registered in England in the United Kingdom, number 679920.
Registered Office: 7 St Aldates, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 1BS.
VAT No. 195 558 514
