What Kind of Local News Does Daily American Online Cover?
Updated
Daily American Online (dailyamerican.com) is the digital home of the Daily American, a local news outlet serving Somerset, PA and the surrounding Somerset County area. Its coverage centers on community-level news rather than national or international reporting, with the homepage organized around sections including News, Sports, Entertainment, Life, Business, Opinion, Obituaries, and a digital eNewspaper. If you live in or have ties to Somerset County, it functions as a general-purpose local paper; if you're looking for broader regional or national coverage, it's not built for that.
Somerset County news and community events
The core of the site is hyperlocal reporting on Somerset County. From the homepage evidence, this includes:
- Local events and festivals — for example, the Springs Folk Festival's 68th annual event and the Somerset County Fair.
- Community institutions — coverage of things like DAR groups laying a wreath for the 25th anniversary of 9/11.
- Local business news — such as Chick-fil-A announcing nine new locations, including one in nearby Johnstown.
- Regional relevance beyond Somerset — stories touching Johnstown and the broader southwestern Pennsylvania area appear alongside strictly Somerset items.
This makes the site useful if your interest is specifically in what's happening in and around Somerset County, not just the borough itself.
High school and local sports coverage
Sports is a distinct, prominent section. The evidence shows a focus on:
- High school football — e.g., "4 Somerset County football teams enter Week 5 with identical marks."
- Penn State and Pittsburgh teams — stories on Penn State potentially missing players vs. Wisconsin, and Steelers commentary.
So the sports coverage blends local high school athletics with regional college and pro teams that matter to a Pennsylvania audience.
Entertainment, fairs, festivals, and food events
The Entertainment and Life sections carry event-driven and lifestyle content, including:
- Cultural and food events — e.g., a Hooversville picnic featuring Hungarian food, wines, and music.
- Fair coverage — the Berlin fair and Somerset County Fair, with exhibits, food, and activities.
- Seasonal and family content — camping at the fair, fall color guides, and similar pieces.
Some of this content is syndicated from USA TODAY network properties (e.g., 10BEST travel and shopping items), so not every entertainment item is locally produced.
Obituaries and opinion columns
Two sections are worth noting for regular readers:
- Obituaries — a standard local-paper function, listed directly in the main navigation.
- Opinion — locally relevant commentary, such as pieces on the Flight 93 heroes, Allegheny Mountain, and a proposed tunnel. These are attributed to named local and regional writers.
What else is on the site
Beyond news, the homepage includes interactive and promotional elements: a daily crossword, a "Your Daily PLAY" games area, contests with entry prompts, and shopping/deals links. These are engagement features rather than news coverage.
How to decide if it's worth following
| If you want... | Daily American Online fits? |
|---|---|
| Somerset County local news and events | Yes — this is its primary focus |
| Local high school sports | Yes |
| Regional PA college/pro sports | Partially — mixed with local coverage |
| Obituaries for the Somerset area | Yes |
| National or international news | No — not its purpose |
| Locally written opinion on regional issues | Yes |
The site references "subscribe" and "subscription" in its signals, and includes an eNewspaper and contest entries, which suggests some content or features may sit behind a subscription or registration. The available evidence doesn't specify which articles are free versus paid, so check the individual page or subscription prompt before assuming full access.