The founding of the Daily Lobo, the University of New Mexico’s student newspaper

The student-run newspaper has been a near constant presence in the history of the University of New Mexico. The New Mexico Daily Lobo serves as a resource to students and carries more than 125-years of University history within its many pages, names, and iterations.

The newspaper’s humble beginnings started in 1895 when The Cactus, a student-run paper, began to circulate on the UNM campus. However, it didn’t last more than a school year and only released a few issues.

Three years later, another group of students saw the need for a student newspaper at UNM. The Mirage began circulation in 1898 and started the legacy of the Daily Lobo as we know it. The aim of The Mirage was as follows: first to advocate higher education, specifically in New Mexico; second to uphold the standards of UNM; third to promote literary excellence among the student body.

During the first year of The Mirage, students managed the newspaper much like a magazine. It carried mainly profiles, student essays, and feature stories within its pages. In 1903, the publication switched to printing weekly to cover more current events — at the suggestion of UNM President George Tight. 

Reflecting its new weekly publication schedule, the name was changed to the UNM Weekly. The rebranding allowed the paper to boast more revenue, stability, and wider circulation. The UNM yearbook kept the name the Mirage after this newspaper name shift.

The UNM Weekly could be seen around campus for nearly two decades until 1923 when it saw its next name change to the New Mexico Lobo. It maintained its weekly publishing schedule until 1937 when it transitioned to semi-weekly. 

In 1971 the student newspaper began publishing five days per week, and became the New Mexico Daily Lobo.

Today, the newspaper is published in print on a weekly basis, news is emailed 4 days per week, and stories are published online daily. The New Mexico Daily Lobo is still a student-run publication and serves as a crucial steppingstone for upcoming journalists. 

Adapted from the original by Makayla Grijalva, Daily Lobo Multimedia Editor, Multimedia Journalism and Political Science major, 2020; https://timeline.unm.edu/.