What is Martlet and what kind of news does it publish?

Updated

Martlet (martlet.ca) is the University of Victoria's independent newspaper. It publishes student journalism across news, opinions, features, culture, campus, and humour, with coverage that extends beyond campus into local Victoria and Saanich politics. If you're looking for a UVic-affiliated publication that mixes campus life with local and cultural reporting, Martlet fits that role.

What kind of publication is it?

Martlet describes itself as "The University of Victoria's Independent Newspaper." That framing matters: it positions itself as a student newspaper tied to UVic but operating independently, rather than as an official university communications outlet.

Its navigation reflects a full editorial operation rather than a single blog:

  • News and Local News
  • Opinions (including op-eds and columns)
  • Features
  • Culture
  • Campus
  • Humour
  • Podcast – The Nest

It also maintains organizational pages such as About, Masthead, Meetings, Advertising, Awards, Digital Archive, Jobs, and Volunteer, which indicate a structured newsroom with staff, governance, and archives.

What does it actually cover?

The homepage evidence shows a publication covering both campus-adjacent and municipal topics, often with a student lens.

Local and municipal politics. Several stories focus on elections and governance in the Victoria area:

  • "A student's guide to this year's municipal and provincial elections"
  • "'Break The Slate' reforms before Saanich hits the polls this weekend"
  • "Current nursing student runs for Saanich council"
  • "Victoria and Saanich could amalgamate in the future, but what does that mean?"

That last piece notes the ballot question is non-binding and designed to gather public opinion — an example of Martlet explaining local political mechanics rather than just reporting outcomes.

Opinions and columns. The Opinions section carries argument-driven pieces, such as "You should care about local politics" and the column "NEWS UNSETTLED | The Canadian 'tax-dollar thieves'." These are clearly labeled as op-eds or columns, distinct from news reporting.

Culture. Coverage includes theatre, film, and events:

  • "'45 Years in Orbit' takes the audience on a journey about the power of theatre"
  • "Annual Latin American & Spanish Film Week a great success"
  • "'Once Upon a Dreadful Night' experiments with improv and actual play"

Campus and student life. The Campus section and pieces like "Let's be more sustainable this fall" address student-oriented topics and seasonal issues.

Who runs it?

Martlet maintains a Masthead page for its editorial team and an About page for its mission and operations. It also lists Meetings, Jobs, and Volunteer pages, suggesting opportunities for students to get involved. For specifics on current staff or editorial policy, those pages are the place to check, since the homepage excerpt doesn't include names or governance details.

How to follow or support it

Martlet offers a newsletter signup at martlet.ca/subscribe. The site also has an Advertising page for those interested in placing ads and a Digital Archive for past issues. Whether any of these involve payment or login requirements isn't specified in the available information, so check the individual pages before assuming access terms.

Bottom line

Martlet is UVic's independent student newspaper, publishing news, opinions, features, culture, campus, and humour content. Its reporting spans campus issues and local Victoria/Saanich affairs, and it operates with a visible editorial structure including a masthead, archive, and volunteer/jobs pages. If you want student-perspective journalism on UVic and the surrounding region, it's a direct source.