The Retrograde

The Retrograde is an independent, entirely student-run news publication that serves campus and local news the student body at the University of Texas at Dallas, replacing The Mercury as UTD’s eminent student newspaper. Unlike The Mercury, which was organized under UTD’s Student Affairs department and directly overseen by administration, The Retrograde is legally independent of UTD and will instead answer to a supervisory committee staffed by students, faculty and industry professionals. The Retrograde is currently pursuing 501(c)3 nonprofit status.

All donations to The Retrograde’s GoFundMe campaign will be used for annual operating costs as outlined below. All extra money raised may be put toward increasing staff compensation or hiring more staff; purchasing journalistic equipment like cameras; expanding print or digital outreach; saving or investing for future use; or another relevant use as approved by The Retrograde’s executive team and supervisory committee. The Retrograde’s annual budget and appropriations will be made available to the public by Oct. 28.

The Retrograde’s current fundraising goals are:

$550 annually for The Retrograde’s website and email accounts

$10,000 or more, one-time, to secure 501(c)3 nonprofit status

$13,300 annually to pay The Retrograde’s staff per contribution

$400, one-time, for membership in the College Media Association, Associated College Press and Texas Intercollegiate Press Association student media associations

The Retrograde is currently an online-only publication. To publish a print newspaper as often as The Mercury did — 19 times per academic year on full-color broadsheet with 12 pages and 2,000 copies per issue — The Retrograde needs to secure $27,300 annually. Print will be financed through ad revenue and any money that remains after meeting all other fundraising goals.

The Retrograde’s current executive team includes:

The Retrograde’s inaugural online issue is set to release Sept. 30. More details about The Retrograde’s internal structure and activities will release over the coming weeks.

Read more about The Mercury’s decision to strike and found The Retrograde at utdmercury.com or on Instagram at @retrograde_news. Keep up with The Retrograde’s content and activities on Instagram at @retrograde_news.