About us

Independent Durham journalism, built locally

We're a small team based in Pickering covering all 8 Durham municipalities — Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa, Clarington, Brock, Scugog, and Uxbridge. Reader-supported. No corporate parent.

Our mission

Why we exist

When legacy local papers were cut back, Durham Region — population 750,000 — was left without enough daily reporting for 8 municipalities, 17 elected councils, 4 school boards, and a Region of Durham council.

Daily Durham exists to fill that gap. We cover what local matters: council decisions, business openings, school news, transit, restaurants, events, and real estate. We do it from inside Durham, not from a Toronto newsroom.

We launched in 2026 with one full-time editor, a network of freelance contributors, and a Founders Circle of paying members. Every story has a real human byline.

What we stand for

Our editorial principles

Independent

No corporate parent. No external editorial control. Reader-funded only.

Accurate

Every story is fact-checked. Mistakes are corrected publicly.

Transparent

We disclose funding sources, sponsors, and conflicts of interest.

Local

Every story has a Durham angle. We do not pad with wire copy.

The team

Who's behind Daily Durham

Marcus Patel

Staff Writer · Oshawa Beat

Marcus covers Oshawa, Generals hockey, Lakeridge Health, and city hall for Daily Durham. Before joining the newsroom he spent six years at the Oshawa Express.

More by Marcus →

Sarah Chen

Staff Writer · Pickering + Ajax

Sarah covers Pickering, Ajax, food openings, transit, and infrastructure. She joined Daily Durham after reporting on suburban growth for the Toronto Star.

More by Sarah →

Milan Suthesakumaran

Founder · Editor · Developer · Daily Durham

Born and based in Durham. Founded All About Web Services in Pickering in 1998 and started Daily Durham to give the region local journalism built from inside Durham.

More by Milan →

Where our money comes from

Funding transparency

Members42%

Local sponsors31%

Newsletter ads18%

Grants6%

Events3%

Members

Paying readers contribute the largest share of revenue. That keeps editorial priorities closer to readers than advertisers.

Local sponsors

Durham businesses can sponsor sections or newsletters. Sponsored material is always labelled and never controls newsroom decisions.