North by Northwestern

What North by Northwestern does

North by Northwestern (NBN) is a student-run online news magazine and registered student organization of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, founded in Summer 2006. The publication covers campus politics, news, life and style, entertainment, sports, science and technology, features, opinion, and creative writing for a primary audience of Northwestern undergraduate and graduate students, with secondary reach to the Evanston community and Northwestern alumni. All editorial and operational staff are unpaid student volunteers spanning writers, editors, photographers, videographers, multimedia producers, designers, social media managers, and business roles.

The core product surface consists of a continuously updated online publication hosted on WordPress with the Rumblepress theme, a tri-annual full-color glossy print magazine (winter, spring, fall), the NBN Insider weekly email newsletter, and supplementary multimedia offerings including audio/podcast content, video, photo features, and web-based interactive games such as mini crosswords and word puzzles. Distribution occurs through the website, mail-based print subscriptions, Instagram, X (@nbn_tweets), YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, an archived site (old.northbynorthwestern.com) for 2019-2024 content, and an Issuu digital archive of the print magazine.

The organization is not an independently incorporated entity; it is a registered student organization of Northwestern University and transitioned from nonprofit status to its current university-affiliated structure around 2024. It has no parent company, no external investors, no venture capital backing, and no paid staff. Revenue is generated from a diversified but small set of streams: online and print advertising sold to businesses seeking the Northwestern student audience, annual $30 print subscriptions covering three issues per year, tax-deductible donations through Northwestern's Annual Giving portal, branded merchandise sales, and on-campus fundraising events. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and the publication operates at a scale consistent with a campus extracurricular organization rather than a commercial enterprise.

Name

North by Northwestern

Legal name

North by Northwestern

Website

https://northbynorthwestern.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

North by Northwestern is a student-run online news magazine and tri-annual print publication of Northwestern University, covering campus news, politics, lifestyle, entertainment, sports, and science for Northwestern students, alumni, and the Evanston community, staffed entirely by unpaid student volunteers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Student News Media

NAICS

Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines (MPAJAEAO)

Keywords

• Campus journalism
• Student news media
• Online news publication
• Print news magazine
• Multimedia content production

Headquarters

HQ city

Evanston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Advertising: Online and print advertising sold to businesses wanting to reach Northwestern student audience
2. Print Magazine Subscriptions: Annual subscription at $30 for three print issues (winter, spring, fall). Subscriptions are not eligible for tax deductions.
3. Campus Fundraisers: On-campus fundraising events and campaigns to support operations
4. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise to generate revenue
5. Donations: Tax-deductible donations accepted through Northwestern's Annual Giving portal. All donations go toward operating costs including printing thousands of magazines per year and purchasing multimedia equipment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

North by Northwestern is a student-run online and print news magazine at Northwestern University that produces original journalism covering campus news, politics, life and style, entertainment, sports, features, opinion, and creative writing. Its core products are the continuously updated online publication at northbynorthwestern.com, a full-color glossy print magazine published three times per year, and a weekly newsletter. The organization is operated entirely by unpaid student volunteers and distributes free digital content alongside paid print subscriptions, advertiser-supported content, and tax-deductible donations.

Product overview

North by Northwestern is a student-run online publication at Northwestern University that operates as a multi-platform journalism organization. The core offering consists of the online publication (northbynorthwestern.com) updated continuously with news, features, opinion, and entertainment content. This is complemented by a print magazine published three times yearly featuring longer-form journalism and graphics. Additional products include the NBN Insider weekly newsletter, interactive games section, and multimedia content including audio and video productions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• North by Northwestern Online Publication A student-run online news publication covering Northwestern University campus and culture, updated around the clock with stories across multiple sections including news, politics, entertainment, sports, features, opinion, science and tech, and creative writing.
• North by Northwestern Magazine A full-color glossy print magazine published three times per year (winter, spring, and fall) featuring in-depth journalism, graphics, and feature-length stories. Available by annual subscription at $30 for three issues, with digital versions hosted on Issuu.
• NBN Insider Newsletter A weekly email newsletter providing subscribers with updates on the latest stories and content from North by Northwestern.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Brown Daily Herald: Brown University's independent daily student newspaper. Comparable in format and audience (university students, alumni) with digital and print editions covering campus news, arts, and opinion.
• The Michigan Daily: University of Michigan's independent daily student newspaper. Comparable as a large public-university student publication with digital and print editions, advertising-funded model, and section-based editorial structure.
• The Stanford Daily: Stanford University's independent student-run daily newspaper. Directly comparable in business model (independent of university, advertising + subscription funded) and audience (students, alumni, local community) with strong digital presence.
• The Daily Northwestern: Northwestern University's daily student newspaper covering campus news, sports, and opinion. Direct peer operating on the same campus with overlapping audience (Northwestern students, Evanston community) and similar student-journalism model.
• The Columbia Daily Spectator: Columbia University's independent daily student newspaper. Closely comparable as an Ivy League student-run news outlet with digital-first publishing, opinion, sports, and multimedia sections.
• The Harvard Crimson: Harvard University's daily student newspaper and one of the oldest college newspapers in the US. Closely comparable as a prestigious university student-run news publication covering campus politics, sports, and culture with both digital and print presence.
• The Yale Daily News: Yale University's daily student newspaper, the oldest college daily in the US. Closely comparable as a prestigious-university student news outlet with digital, print, and multimedia operations.
• The Cavalier Daily: University of Virginia's independent daily student newspaper. Comparable student-run news publication serving a large public university with digital and print editions, advertising-supported model, and section-based coverage.
• The Daily Pennsylvanian: University of Pennsylvania's independent daily student newspaper. Comparable as a major university student publication covering news, sports, opinion, and culture with a multi-platform digital and print operation funded through advertising.
• The Cornell Daily Sun: Cornell University's independent daily student newspaper. Directly comparable student-run news operation with digital-first publishing, multimedia content, and advertising-supported revenue model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nbn_tweets
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCpgkWQFnvMU9lhjOBWeQgsg
• Facebookfacebook.com/northbynorthwestern
• Instagraminstagram.com/northbynorthwestern/?hl=en
• TikToktiktok.com/@northbynorthwestern

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about North by Northwestern