The Northern Student newspaper began publication in 1926, more than 60 years before the university's mass communications department came to existance in 1988.

The makeup and the purpose of the newspaper has generally changed throughout the years along with the university. In its incepttion, the newspaper was staffed by a mixture of both university faculty and students. In those early years, the paper was little more than an official newsletter for the university.

Beginning in 1957, while serving as public relations director for BSU and the faculty advisor the Northern Student staff Jim McMahon introduced a series of journalism courses offered under the colleges of language and literature. McMahon was said to be a one-man news service is considered to be the father of the current Mass Communications department at Bemidji State University.

Under the guidance of McMahon, the Northern Student became more student-run and centered. In the late 1960's a staff strike led the university to begin paying the staff for the publication of the newspaper.

In 1992, the newspaper was removed from under the guidance of the Mass Communications department. The BSU Media Board currently oversees the operation in a strictly advisory manner - content and publication is entirely student-run.

In 2005, the Northern Student launched the online version of the paper, which is updated weekly as the print editions are published