The Santa Monica Daily Press unveiled a redesigned website at www.smdp.com this week, greeting visitors with an updated digital platform while maintaining the vital local content that has defined the independent daily for a quarter century.
The launch represents the latest evolution for a publication that has made adaptation central to its identity since three entrepreneurs from Aspen launched it on Nov. 13, 2001, filling the void left when the Evening Outlook closed after 123 years of publication.
Publisher Ross Furukawa, one of the founding partners still active at the paper, has credited the Daily Press's longevity to its unwavering commitment to local coverage and willingness to embrace change. Co-publisher Todd James, who joined as a partner in 2018 to help modernize operations and future-proof the enterprise, shares that philosophy of innovation.
The redesigned website comes as the Daily Press continues to rapidly expand its digital footprint. The six-times-weekly email newsletter has seen spectacular subscriber growth–up nearly 750% in just the past two years. Newsletter growth has become increasingly vital for local news outlets nationwide, with nearly 95% of local online news publishers now offering newsletters and about 72% seeing their subscriber lists grow in recent years. Research shows newsletters are among the tools that drive digital subscriptions for local outlets, establishing a personal, habitual connection that arrives without social media algorithms.
The Daily Press pioneered digital delivery early, reportedly becoming the first daily newspaper in the United States to offer a free PDF edition of each issue online in the early 2000s. The paper participated in the Google News Initiative and other media accelerator programs in 2019 to overhaul its technology and digital strategy, expanding its reach while maintaining a print edition that still distributes copies 5 days per week.
The website overhaul reflects broader trends in local journalism's digital transformation. Local news websites now serve as the central hub of community journalism, delivering breaking news in real time far beyond the old daily print cycle while enabling richer storytelling and convenient access on any device. A well-built site lets a hometown newsroom maintain the mix of instant delivery and traditional integrity that sustains reader trust.
The move comes at a critical time for local newspapers nationwide. In the past two decades, legacy local newspapers have faced steep declines, with around two shutting down per week on average. More than 1,800 U.S. communities now have no local paper, and industry advertising revenue has plunged more than 80% since 2000. By 2018, nearly as many Americans preferred to get local news online (37%) as on television (41%), vastly more than those relying on print (13%), making a strong digital presence essential for local media.
The survival and growth of the Daily Press stands in stark contrast to the broader media landscape. While many local newspapers have folded or been absorbed by chains, the Daily Press remains proudly independent, supported by advertising, reader memberships and local sponsorships.