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Covering news on and off Memorial University’s St. John’s campus, The Muse is a student-run paper that has been operating for over 75 years. Having started as a nameless publication run by the MUN Students’ Union, The Muse later evolved into its own independent operation. Now exclusively digital, The Muse continues to extend its word across the city and beyond.
The first edition
Shortly after Memorial University evolved from a college into a degree-granting university, the first edition of The Muse went to print in December, 1950. The paper was initially untitled and held a contest to establish a name for itself. A professor on campus won with ‘The Muse.’ Muse resembles the name of the Greek goddess of the arts, is an acronym for ‘Memorial University Student Editorial,’ and the word itself refers to a source of inspiration or creativity.
The publication began with a small editorial staff and was operated by the MUN Students’ Union (MUNSU).
Changing the narrative
Stories in The Muse were initially focused on campus life, detailing the activities of different clubs and societies and other campus gossip. As students on the editorial team graduated and others joined, topics evolved. The publication later began covering political events and offering activist perspectives.
In the early 2000s, the paper separated from the MUN Students’ Union and incorporated as The Muse Publications. The publication is guided by a volunteer board of directors and is run by a small editorial team that’s paid through a $2 fee in St. John’s campus student tuition, as well as university and government-funded positions.
Current Editor-in-Chief, John Harris, says that in the heyday of print media, The Muse printed upwards of 12,000 copies that were distributed throughout campus and across St. John’s, which also led to significant opportunities for advertising revenue. As early as 1993, the publication began transitioning to include digital coverage. In 2017, due to budgetary constraints, The Muse announced its final print edition and switched to online articles and social media content.
Harris explains that The Muse continues to cover a mix of on and off-campus content, including sports and political news. Summer content is especially fun, as they get to feature festivals and other arts and culture events throughout St. John’s. The team also takes inspiration from the past, including the paper’s ‘mouth-off’ segment, where editors interviewed students throughout campus and included their photos and quotes in the paper. This has been transformed into video format, where interviews are filmed and posted on social media.
In celebration of the publication’s past, in February, 2026, The Muse created a special print edition of its paper to recognise its 75th anniversary. The milestone was celebrated at a launch event at the on-campus student-run bar.
Looking towards the future, Harris says The Muse hopes to continue providing as much value as possible, in terms of content, as well as providing students a chance to gain experience working in media. He commented: “Media serves an important role in democracy, keeping communities informed and making people feel heard.”
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