Media giants serious about students

Big media companies are increasing their interest in students.

Last year News International, which famously bought the youth-popular MySpace, added graduate recruitment website Milkround to its portfolio.

It spent £20 million on the site, which was set up by an Oxford graduate.

Executive chairman of News International Les Hinton said: “Students are an important element of the Times readership, and we believe that this link up will strengthen our leading position in the student marketplace.”

More recently Trinity Mirror, who are rumoured to be looking at digital opportunities, have made preliminary moves offline, with a bid to become a printhouse for national student media - an area currently dominated by BAM Agency.

Trinity Mirror, who already publish Cardiff student paper Gair Rhydd, have approached unions across the UK.

Where big media firms go, their peers tend to follow.

Developments such as these mentioned, and others, should only help to raise the profile of student marketing and improve investment.