Sunshine Coast Daily
| Company type | Digital news outlet |
|---|---|
| Industry | News media |
| Predecessor | Provincial Newspapers Queensland (print) |
| Founded | July 7, 1980 |
| Founder | Provincial Newspapers Queensland |
| Fate | Shifted to exclusively online format in 2020 |
| Headquarters | Maroochydore , Australia |
Area served | Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia |
Key people | Nadja Fleet (Editor in Chief) |
| Owner | News Corp Australia |
| Website | sunshinecoastdaily |
The Sunshine Coast Daily is a digital news outlet catering to the Sunshine Coast area in Queensland, Australia. Owned by News Corp Australia, it shifted from a printed newspaper to an exclusively online format in 2020.
Back in 2008, the publication's circulation reached 21,604 copies during weekdays and 34,716 on Saturdays. By 2015, these figures had decreased to approximately 12,200 on weekdays and below 18,000 on Saturdays. The organisation also published various community newspapers such as the Caloundra Weekly, Maroochy Weekly, Nambour Weekly, and Buderim Chronicle, along with the Caboolture News, Noosa News, and Bribie Weekly. However, News Limited discontinued all these titles by mid-2020.
1980–1988 Provincial Newspapers Queensland Ownership
On 7 July 1980, Provincial Newspapers Queensland capitalised on its acquisitions of local weekly papers and the earlier 1964 purchase of the Nambour Chronicle to introduce the Sunshine Coast Daily from Maroochydore. The publication swiftly expanded its readership to 21,052 by September 1992 within a community of 125,000 residents, positioning itself as a strong competitor against established outlets like Brisbane's Courier Mail. This expansion played a role in boosting Provincial Newspapers Queensland’s net profits from $1.92 million in 1980 to $4.51 million in 1985, with $4 million reported during its final operational year of 1987–88.
1999–2016 Australian Regional Media and 2016–present NewsCorp Ownership
In June 2016, Australian Regional Media was acquired by News Corp Australia for $36.6 million. The transaction received approval from 99.94% of shareholders, excluding News Limited and its related entities.
NewsCorp’s Proposed Sale of Regional Newspapers in 2020
By May 2020, amid a shrinking regional newspaper industry exacerbated by COVID-19’s adverse effects on advertising revenue, NewsCorp Australia began negotiations to divest over one hundred regional and community newspapers. However, talks with Australian Community Media did not reach an agreement, as confirmed by Michael Miller, executive chairman of News Corp Australasia.
Digitisation
On 28 May 2020, NewsCorp announced extensive workforce reductions as part of a strategic shift towards digitally-centred regional news operations. The Sunshine Coast Daily released its last printed edition on 27 June 2020, marking the conclusion of its traditional print presence in the community. Concurrently, other local publications such as the Caloundra Weekly and Nambour Weekly also ceased print production during this period.
From 2020 onwards, the Sunshine Coast Daily has been accessible via three digital channels: a website, an app, and a digital edition.
Website
The website retains the structure reminiscent of the former print version. Visitors can read headlines and brief summaries freely; however, full articles require an unlimited digital subscription to the Sunshine Coast Daily. This subscription is priced at $1 per week for the initial four weeks before increasing to $7 weekly. Subscribers enjoy unrestricted access across all devices, including app usage and unlimited digital content from the Courier Mail.
App
Introduced in September 2016, the Sunshine Coast Daily app offers users access to prominent news stories digitally. Available for iOS and Android platforms through Apple App Store and Google Play respectively, the app has been regularly updated to improve user experience and facilitate daily access to key news items.
Digital Edition
Launched in 2016, the Digital Edition serves as an online flipbook mirroring the print newspaper. Originally featuring a concise four-page interactive format that showcased key headlines, by July 2020 it had grown to sixteen pages. This expanded version included national and international news, puzzles, horoscopes, stock market updates, television schedules, and cartoons—demonstrating robust local reader involvement.
Organisation
Since 2020, Nadja Fleet has held the position of Editor in Chief, operating from the Sunshine Coast.
Headquarters
The Sunshine Coast Daily maintained its main office in Maroochydore, Queensland, located at Newspaper Place and Dalton Drive. In June 2020, due to significant revenue losses linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, News Corp Australia revealed plans to lease out the headquarters premises, resulting in staff moving to new locations.
Circulation
During the early 2000s up until 2014, the Sunshine Coast Daily experienced growth in its print readership; however, circulation steadily decreased thereafter until the publication shifted exclusively to digital. Between March 2014 and March 2015, weekday print distribution declined from 45,000 copies to 42,000, while weekend circulation dropped from 46,000 to 37,000.
This downward trend is attributed to heightened competition within the media landscape and the overall evolution of the newspaper sector. Contributing factors also include a shrinking regional population, shutdowns of major local industries, and cutbacks in editorial coverage.
Controversies
In 2019, the Sunshine Coast Daily encountered criticism for publishing a front-page image showing a sniper aiming at Anastasia Palaszczuk. The Australian Press Council reviewed the matter and determined that the newspaper’s subsequent apology, removal of the image from online platforms, and publication of letters expressing criticism sufficiently addressed the issue.
Reputation
The Sunshine Coast Daily has earned multiple accolades within the journalism industry:
| Award | Recipient | Work | Year | Notes |
| Walkley Foundation | Tenille Bonoguore | N/A | 2005 | |
| PANPA Newspaper of the Year | N/A | N/A | 2007 | |
| PANPA Newspaper of the Year | N/A | N/A | 2011 | |
| Regional News Brand of the Year (Finalist) | N/A | N/A | 2019 |