What Is The Lumberjack?

Updated

The Lumberjack (thelumberjack.org) is the student-run, independent news publication serving the Cal Poly Humboldt campus and the surrounding Humboldt County community. It has operated under that mission since 1929, and its coverage spans campus news, opinion, life and arts, and local issues affecting students and residents.

Who runs it

The site describes itself as student-run and independent, and it also operates a student-run radio station for Cal Poly Humboldt. That combination of a news outlet and a radio operation is the clearest signal of its role: it functions as a training ground and platform for student journalists rather than as a publication owned by the university administration.

What it covers

The homepage and section structure show the main content areas:

Section What appears there
News Campus and community reporting, including local institutions and events
Opinion Commentary and columns, including sports-adjacent cultural takes
Life & Arts Local culture, nightlife, and community features
Editor's Pick Selected stories elevated from the main feed

Recent examples from the site illustrate the range: a report on a yoga studio turned homeless shelter that was forced to close, a piece on Arcata's nightlife, and coverage of Cal Poly Humboldt receiving an award for serving rural students. Stories are tagged with locations and institutions such as Arcata, Humboldt County, and Cal Poly University Humboldt.

Who it's for

The primary audience is Cal Poly Humboldt students, faculty, and staff, but the tagging and story selection show it also addresses the wider Humboldt County community. If you're a student looking for campus news, a local resident following Arcata issues, or someone researching how an independent student paper covers rural higher education, this is the relevant outlet.

How to use it

  • Start at the homepage for the current edition and Editor's Pick selections.
  • Use the News, Opinion, and Life & Arts sections to narrow by content type.
  • Expect student bylines and a mix of hard news and cultural commentary rather than wire-service coverage.
  • The site also links to the campus radio stream if you want audio alongside the written reporting.

One practical note: because it is student-run, staffing and publishing frequency follow the academic calendar, so coverage volume may shift between semesters.