The newspaper is divided into sections, including current affairs (news, campus comment, opinion, science); life and style (lifestyle, fashion and beauty, relationships, food and drink, travel); culture (film, tv, music, arts, gaming); sport and puzzles.

[2] Several of the paper's founders, including its first editor Stuart Shaw and business manager Allan Marsh, had previously helped to set up Palatinate, a newspaper for students at both the Newcastle and Durham divisions of the University, but poor sales in Newcastle prompted Palatinate to refocus as a Durham-only publication after just three issues.

In 2003 a separate culture magazine, Pulp, was launched, which later became a pull-out of the main paper and was reintegrated completely in 2009.

Since then, new sections such as lifestyle, science, gaming and travel have been launched within the paper.

[5] The Courier became a free publication in 2002, and after several short-lived websites, thecourieronline.co.uk launched in 2009, giving the paper a regular presence online.