Canta (magazine)

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Canta (stylised CANTA) is the official magazine of the University of Canterbury Students’ Association (UCSA) at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. Founded in 1930, it has a light-hearted, image-heavy style with short articles. Canta is a member of the Aotearoa Student Press Association (ASPA) and the New Zealand Press Council. Older issues are freely available online through the National Library of New Zealand. The magazine is published every two weeks during term time and runs 48 pages per issue.

Over the years, Canta has sparked controversy. In 1996, editors were dismissed after publishing several provocative pieces, a decision later revisited in an employment tribunal. In 2007, a piece about cheating drew wide media attention and led the university to consider random seating in exams. In 2008, a weekly column containing inflammatory remarks generated a lot of hate mail and sparked debate about the magazine’s policies. In 2015, after another controversial article, issues were recalled and a new, independent editorial team took over in 2016. The first 2016 issue included a disclaimer that Canta’s opinions are not necessarily those of the UCSA or the university, and that the magazine is now independent and student-led.

Today, Canta remains a campus staple, balancing humor with student life, and is freely available around the campus.