The University of Montana has a long tradition of student journalism. The well-known Montana Kaimin published its first edition in June of 1898. While the Kaimin remains the sole student-run newspaper at UM, it was not always the only newspaper available to students on campus. Other student organizations also published their own newspapers and magazines. These publications offered diverse perspectives on issues and events affecting student life on and off campus. UM's Fourth Estate kept students well-informed about the world around them. The world they were training to lead. 

​Imagine you picked up an edition of the Kaimin from 1903. What would you expect to read in it? 


Click on the publications below to learn more.

The original editors of the Kaimin envisioned the paper as a means to build community at UM. Since its first issue, the Kaimin has kept students informed about campus happenings. It also provided a crucial link between students and the world around them.

The Black Student Union (BSU) began publishing the Watani as an alternative to the Kaimin in 1970. Through essays and poetry, Black students publicized the poor treatment of Black students on campus and racial oppression in Missoula.

In the early 1990s, the BSU published Our United Voice. Its tone differs from that of the Watani. While still condemning racial discrimination in Missoula, it invited anyone committed to racial justice to take part in BSU activities.

UM's Student Action Center (SAC) published a series of newspapers from 1979-1985. SAC's reporters covered various social, environmental, and political issues. This issue of the Clark Fork Free Press from May 1983 featured coverage of what would become known as the Iran-Contra controversy.

The Women’s Resource Center published the Montana Women’s Resource from 1975 until 1986. The paper expanded outreach and communication for women on campus. It provided resources to readers on women’s health, education, and recovery from abuse. It also published student-produced literature on women’s rights and activism.

UM’s newspapers provided a place for students to debate prevalent issues. Student editorials illustrate the diversity of political opinions on campus.

Traditions