SCAN Magazine/The Connector

What SCAN Magazine/The Connector does

The Connector (previously SCAN Magazine) is a student-run, editorially independent news and entertainment publication serving the Savannah College of Art and Design's Atlanta campus, founded in 2007 and operated from Atlanta, Georgia. It publishes digital editorial content across arts & entertainment, media, news, opinion, and features categories, with 587+ pages of archived articles and active publishing extending into 2026. The publication maintains memberships in three collegiate press associations (Associated Collegiate Press, Georgia College Press Association, and Columbia Scholastic Press Association) and has received journalism awards from those bodies.

The underlying technology is a standard WordPress-based online publishing platform at scadconnector.com, with no API, no mobile app, no proprietary technology, and no modular product architecture. Content is organized into clearly defined category sections and is freely accessible to readers without paywalls or subscriptions. The platform supports basic content discovery through category navigation and search, plus social sharing functionality.

The business model is advertising-supported: the publication sells display advertising and accepts sponsored content partnerships aimed at local businesses and organizations targeting the SCAD Atlanta student demographic. There is no disclosed pricing, no rate card, and no formalized monetization infrastructure. The publication has 9 employees (predominantly student staff), no external investors, no funding history, and operates within the institutional framework of SCAD while maintaining editorial independence from the college administration.

Name

SCAN Magazine/The Connector

Legal name

The Connector

Website

https://scadconnector.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Connector is a student-run, editorially independent news and entertainment publication for SCAD Atlanta, publishing free digital content via a WordPress platform and monetizing solely through local display advertising since 2007.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Advertising: The publication accepts advertisements as indicated by the 'Advertise' page link in the navigation. Revenue generated through display advertising and potential sponsored content partnerships with local businesses and organizations targeting SCAD Atlanta students.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

The Connector is a free, editorially independent online student news and entertainment publication for the Savannah College of Art and Design Atlanta campus. It produces original editorial content across arts & entertainment, media, news, opinion, and features, and monetizes primarily through display advertising and sponsored content aimed at the SCAD Atlanta audience.

Product overview

The Connector operates as a single unified digital publication (a student news and entertainment website) for SCAD Atlanta, with no modular platform architecture or add-on products. The publication is editorially independent and covers categories including Arts & Entertainment (Art, Music, Beauty, Fashion, Film & Television, Books, Food & Drink), Media (Video, Comics, Photography, Multimedia), News (SCAD ATL, Local, National, International, Public Safety), Opinion, and Features. A related linked publication, SCAN Magazine, represents the broader SCAD magazine presence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Connector Free online student news and entertainment publication covering arts & entertainment, media, news, opinion, and features for the SCAD Atlanta campus and broader Atlanta arts community.
• SCAN Magazine

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Associated Collegiate PresscoreOthersProfessional press association membership providing editorial standards, journalistic guidelines, and industry recognition for collegiate publications.
• Georgia College Press AssociationcoreOthersRegional collegiate press association membership connecting the publication with other student media outlets across Georgia.
• Columbia Scholastic Press AssociationcoreOthersNational press association membership bridging secondary and collegiate journalism education, providing standards and recognition.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights1 record

Direct peers

• The Stanford Daily: Editorially independent student newspaper at Stanford University, with advertising revenue and award recognition. Directly comparable as a large-scale independent student publication with similar governance and operations model to The Connector.
• The Harvard Crimson: One of the oldest and largest editorially independent college newspapers in the U.S. A widely-recognized direct peer for any independent, ad-supported collegiate news publication, illustrating the scaled version of the same operating model.
• The Daily Tar Heel: Independent student newspaper at UNC-Chapel Hill, advertising-supported and award-winning. A direct operational peer with a comparable rotating student staff and free-distribution business model.
• The Signal (Georgia State University): Student newspaper of Georgia State University, located in downtown Atlanta. A direct geographic and structural peer operating under the same student-press economics and serving a comparable urban campus audience.
• The Technique: Student-run newspaper of Georgia Tech, also based in Atlanta, covering campus and local news with an advertising-supported free distribution model — directly comparable in audience structure, mission, and operating context to The Connector.
• The Emory Wheel: Independent student newspaper serving Emory University in the Atlanta metro. Comparable as a peer Atlanta-area collegiate publication with editorial independence, ad-supported free distribution, and a rotating student staff.

Emerging players

• BurnAway: Atlanta-based online arts publication covering visual arts, performance, and culture in the Southeast. Comparable as a niche Atlanta-area digital publication serving the same arts-and-culture audience The Connector's secondary segment targets.
• SCAN Magazine: The directly-linked companion SCAD publication. Operates within the same institutional ecosystem (SCAD) and serves an overlapping student audience, making it the most structurally connected adjacent publication to The Connector.

Broad incumbents

• Creative Loafing Atlanta: An alternative-weekly covering Atlanta arts, food, music, and culture. A broader incumbent serving the same Atlanta arts-and-entertainment audience The Connector addresses through its secondary segment, with more established advertising operations.
• Atlanta Magazine: Established regional magazine covering Atlanta culture, food, and arts. Comparable in coverage verticals (arts, food, music, local news) and in serving the Atlanta arts community, though operating at significantly larger professional scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scad-s-scan-magazine-the-connector

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 SCAN Magazine/The Connector