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Outlet profile

The Stanford Daily

U.S. left-leaning

Owned byThe Stanford Daily Publishing Corporation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit incorporated in Santa Clara County, governed by the paper's student editor-in-chief and business manager
FundingMix of student activity fees (approximately $100,000 per year voted by students), university subscription payments (approximately $60,000–$80,000 per year for faculty and staff access), and advertising revenue, which is the largest single source
On the administrationbroadly critical

Background

The paper was founded in 1892, a year after Stanford opened, under the name The Daily Palo Alto; it was renamed The Stanford Daily in 1905 to distinguish itself from a separate local publication. For most of its early history it operated under loose university oversight, but that relationship frayed in 1970 when a strongly worded editorial prompted Stanford administrators to worry about legal liability. In 1973, students incorporated The Stanford Daily Publishing Corporation as a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit, formally severing the paper from university control and giving it full editorial independence. The paper is notable for being one of the few college dailies that has published continuously since the nineteenth century. Its editorial perspective reflects the general orientation of elite research-university student journalism — broadly progressive on social and political questions, skeptical of institutional power, and attentive to campus free speech and civil liberties. In August 2025, the paper filed suit against the Trump administration alongside FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression), arguing that two federal immigration statutes were being used to punish noncitizen students and journalists for protected speech. In August 2026, a federal judge ruled in the paper's favor on six of its eight claims, finding the government's use of those statutes was an unconstitutional, viewpoint-based restriction on speech.

Sources

  1. The Stanford Daily – Wikipedia
  2. About Us – The Stanford Daily
  3. Stanford Daily wins free speech lawsuit against Trump admin – The Stanford Daily
  4. Letter from the Editors: On The Daily's lawsuit with FIRE – The Stanford Daily
  5. Stanford student newspaper sues Trump officials over immigration law – NBC News
  6. Judge sides with The Stanford Daily, rules federal government violated constitution – Redwood City Pulse
  7. The Stanford Daily celebrates 125 years of student involvement – Stanford News
  8. Freedom of the press: The history of The Daily's independence – The Stanford Daily

Profile compiled 2026-08-30; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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