Dear reader,

Founded in 2020, by Lois Heslop and Phoebe Hennell, The Oxford Blue’s mission was to open up journalism to all Oxford students. They aimed to create an independent, friendly, student paper that was a “disruptive new voice” with “accessibility and inclusivity at the heart of [its] mission”. Five years on, we’re a little less new but our heart remains the same. We want to be a place for anyone who wants to get involved in journalism but does not know where to start. The Blue is for those who feel like they do not ‘fit in’ at other publications, or for those who want to shake up the Oxford journalism scene by doing something new. Our aim is to make The Blue a place for you. These values have been what has shaped us since day one, and this term we’re committed to upholding them.

With both Editors-in-Chief coming from Mansfield, the college with the highest proportion of state-educated students in Oxford, accessibility is not just a buzzword: it’s something that we’ve seen is possible in Oxford. We have always believed that student journalism should not be only reserved for a privileged elite. Given Oxford’s oversized role in British society, access to student journalism has to be democratised.    

For us, that begins by cultivating a diverse range of sections, championing writers’ voices, and designing opportunities open to all regardless of experience. These are just a few of the reasons why we and so many others have joined and stayed on at The Blue. As we celebrate our fifth birthday, we are so excited to celebrate all our past and present work, and to continue creating new milestones in Oxford’s student journalism scene. In particular, we would like to thank the previous Editors-in-Chief, Kiaya Philips and Niamh Stansfield, for their work which has been commended by the Student Publication Association

Five years on, The Blue continues to grow in readership and staff and we’re excited to announce a variety of new features. In Global Affairs, we have introduced ‘Across the Aisle’, a column platforming how Oxford’s political societies react to global and British politics. We also have launched many other columns this term including: ‘Your College Auntie’. This column is designed to help Oxford students who love submitting Oxfesses about their problems but want more; The Blue is ready to give the advice you could not find in the comment section of #oxfess34720. And if you’re as single as ever – with Valentine’s Day approaching – The Blue is ready to help students find love (or at least a funny story) with our new blind dating column. Meanwhile, if you’re happily coupled up and tired of hearing about your friends’ failed romantic encounters, hopefully, we will do a better job at matching people than Hinge… We’ve also restructured our Social Media and expanded our TikTok, so watch out for us asking questions by the Rad Cam. We’ve made these changes to amplify the voices of Oxford students and represent all areas of student life. 

The Blue is also hosting more events than ever. We are running a journalism panel in collaboration with Advertising Society, which we hope will expand the links between student journalism in Oxford and the wider world. This Hilary, we’ll also be hosting an event celebrating the past work and staff at The Blue. At the event, we’ll be launching a special edition hybrid print magazine for the first time, featuring a selection of some of the best articles produced over the past Five Years, as well as some surprises!

So, we invite you, our readers, to celebrate Five Years of The Blue with us. Whether you’ve been reading our articles for several years or just a few days, written for us many times or only once, or just joined the team, you are all an integral part of this celebration. Five years on, we want to thank you for your continued engagement and support as we celebrate our past and continue to look towards our future.  

Isabel, Eric and Louis

Editors-in-Chief, Managing Director HT25

Image Credit by Victor Garza