Visayan Daily Star ends print edition after 45 years, shifts to digital-only format

The publication continues online under its rebranded Facebook page, Daily News Central.

After 45 years in operation, the Visayan Daily Star has stopped printing its physical newspaper and shifted to a digital-only format, marking the end of its print run on June 6.

Acting editor-in-chief Carlos Antonio Leonardia said the Bacolod City-based newspaper will continue operating in digital form, with website articles still being published and its Facebook page rebranded as “Daily News Central.”

In a June 6 editorial, Leonardia said the move came amid internal conflicts over the paper’s direction. He claimed that some individuals called for the shutdown of the newspaper to protect the organization’s own interests.

“It is hard to understand how they intend to protect the interest of an institution when they want to stop it from existing, but that is what they want and those running it right now may have been willing to help, but do not want a fight. So we comply and stop the presses,” Leonardia wrote.

The Visayan Daily Star is the second-longest running newspaper in the Visayas region, reporting on local developments since 1982. Its nearly 45-year run was briefly interrupted by a temporary halt in printing during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Leonardia assumed the role of acting editor-in-chief after his aunt and the paper’s longtime editor, Ninfa Leonardia, passed away in 2022.

The Visayan Daily Star is among many local newspapers that have scaled back operations in recent years amid the decline of print media.

In light of weakening local presses, experts point to the rise of “news deserts” in rural areas where digital media literacy remains limited. The absence of strong local news coverage pushes consumers toward national outlets, which may not always fully cover local issues, potentially reducing trust in mainstream media and contributing to the spread of disinformation.

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