Founded in 2009 by journalist Richard Gurner, the Caerphilly Observer came into being to fill a "news desert" in the local area. The idea sparked when Gurner noticed that traditional, corporate-owned newspapers were cutting back on local reporters and closing offices, leaving the community without reliable information about their own town. He decided to launch an independent website to ensure residents still had a voice and a source for local scrutiny. Today, the publication is owned by Caerphilly Media Ltd, which remains an independent company. Today, the Caerphilly Observer is still edited by Richard Gurner and is focused entirely on local happenings. They cover a mix of topics including local council politics, crime updates, business news, and local sports like rugby and football. They are based in Caerphilly, Wales, and serve the residents of the entire county borough. One interesting fact: A unique fact about the Caerphilly Observer is that it defied the global trend of newspapers shutting down print operations to go online. After starting as a digital-only website, the demand for local news was so strong that they actually launched a physical print newspaper four years later, which is now distributed for free across the region.