Santa Monica College Corsair
The student newspaper of Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, California.
Last updated August 26, 2026
Overview
Santa Monica College Corsair, commonly known as The Corsair, is the student newspaper of Santa Monica College, a public community college in Santa Monica, California. It functions both as a campus news publication and as a practical journalism training vehicle for students enrolled at the college. The publication produces coverage for the Santa Monica College community and maintains an online presence through TheCorsairOnline.com, while its institutional role includes the production of a weekly student newspaper in print and digital formats. The paper originated under the name The SaMoJaC. In its earlier form, it was published every two weeks. The title was changed to The Corsair in 1945, the same year that Santa Monica Junior College changed its institutional name to Santa Monica City College. The Corsair name connects the publication with the college's Corsair identity, which is also used in Santa Monica College athletics and campus symbolism. The newspaper operates within Santa Monica College's hands-on media curriculum. Students gain experience in reporting, editing, writing, visual journalism, production, and online publishing through participation in the paper. Because it is an educational publication rather than an independent commercial newspaper, its editorial and operational context is closely connected to the college, its students, faculty, staff, and surrounding communities. The publication's role is therefore twofold: it communicates campus and local-interest information while helping prepare students for journalism and related media careers. Santa Monica College is part of the Santa Monica Community College District and serves students in a range of academic, occupational, arts, and transfer programs. The college operates its main campus and several additional sites in Santa Monica and Malibu. The Corsair's audience is consequently centered on a diverse community-college population, including full-time, part-time, traditional-age, adult, and international students. Its coverage environment can include campus governance, student life, education policy, arts and culture, athletics, community affairs, and issues affecting the wider Westside Los Angeles region. The Corsair should be distinguished from unrelated publications or organizations using the Corsair name. Its defining identity is that of Santa Monica College's student-run newspaper, not a general-interest newspaper chain, commercial media company, or sports organization. Public reference material identifies it as a weekly publication available in both print and online forms, but does not establish a separate corporate ownership structure, public listing, financial results, or a complete roster of editorial leaders. Those details are therefore left unspecified here.
History
The Corsair is the student newspaper associated with Santa Monica College. Its institutional predecessor was titled The SaMoJaC and was published on a less frequent, biweekly schedule. In 1945, the publication adopted the name The Corsair. The renaming occurred during an important period in the college's own institutional history: Santa Monica Junior College also changed its name in 1945, becoming Santa Monica City College. The Corsair title subsequently became aligned with the college's broader Corsair identity. The publication developed as part of Santa Monica College's media and journalism education. Rather than operating primarily as a commercial newspaper, it serves as a practical newsroom in which students can apply reporting and production skills. The college describes the newspaper as a hands-on training vehicle for Southern California journalism students. Its educational function places student participation at the center of the publication's identity and distinguishes it from professional news organizations serving the Los Angeles area. The Corsair has been produced as a weekly publication in both print and online forms. Its digital outlet, TheCorsairOnline.com, extends the paper beyond physical distribution and provides a web-based channel for articles and other student media work. The combination of print and digital publishing reflects the changing environment in which college newspapers operate, while retaining the publication's role as a campus news source. The paper's institutional setting is Santa Monica College, a public community college founded in 1929 and located in Santa Monica, California. The college later expanded from its original junior-college role into a large institution serving college-age and non-traditional students, with programs spanning transfer education, occupational certificates, the arts, and other fields. This broad student population provides the social and academic setting in which The Corsair operates. The paper's potential subject matter includes college administration, student governance, campus events, arts and culture, athletics, education policy, and issues affecting Santa Monica and neighboring communities. Because The Corsair is a college publication, its continuity is tied to the college's academic calendar and student newsroom. Publicly available reference material identifies its historical name change, publication format, and educational purpose, but does not provide a complete chronology of editors, circulation figures, budgets, incorporation records, or ownership transactions. The publication is consequently best documented as an institutional student-media brand rather than as a separately capitalized newspaper corporation.
- 1945The publication adopts The Corsair name
The student newspaper formerly known as The SaMoJaC is renamed The Corsair. The change coincides with Santa Monica Junior College becoming Santa Monica City College.
Products and positioning
A student-run college newspaper that combines campus and community journalism with experiential training for Santa Monica College students.
The CorsairWeekly student newspaper1945
The Corsair is Santa Monica College's student newspaper. It is produced as part of the college's hands-on media curriculum and gives students practical experience in reporting, editing, production, and publication. The newspaper has been described as appearing weekly in print and online, with its editorial environment focused on the college community and subjects relevant to Santa Monica and the surrounding area.
TheCorsairOnline.comDigital student publication
TheCorsairOnline.com is the web presence associated with Santa Monica College's student newspaper. It provides an online channel for Corsair journalism and complements the publication's print edition. The available reference material identifies the site as the newspaper's official online outlet but does not specify its launch date, audience metrics, or detailed content architecture.
Flagship businesses
- The Corsair weekly student newspaper
- TheCorsairOnline.com digital publication
Sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/santa-monica-college-corsair · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled