The Independent

What The Independent does

The Independent (operating as Dan's Papers) is a regional newspaper and digital media publication covering the East End of Long Island, including the Hamptons and North Fork communities. Founded in 1960 and based in East Hampton, New York, the publication has served as the longstanding flagship local media outlet for affluent Long Island communities such as Southampton, Sag Harbor, Montauk, East Hampton, Bridgehampton, Water Mill, Westhampton Beach, Quogue, and Southold for over 60 years. It is wholly owned and operated by Schneps Media, a diversified New York regional media conglomerate that also controls amNY, Long Island Press, Behind the Hedges, and New York Family.

The company's product surface consists of a flagship weekly digital newspaper distributed through the Calameo digital editions platform, a comprehensive community events calendar at events.danspapers.com, and the Behind the Hedges sub-brand dedicated to Hamptons luxury real estate coverage. Content spans arts and culture, food and drink, local news, celebrity coverage, lifestyle, and community philanthropy. Distribution spans physical print circulation in the Hamptons region, the main website (danspapers.com), a Home Pros business directory, digital editions, email newsletters, and organic social media channels. Geographic coverage has expanded beyond the original Hamptons footprint to include dedicated verticals for NYC and Palm Beach.

Revenue is generated exclusively through advertising and sponsored content placements from local Hamptons businesses — including restaurants, galleries, real estate firms, wellness providers, event venues, and service companies in the Home Pros directory — with no subscription paywall or direct reader fees. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and the publication is offered free to readers across web, digital, and physical distribution channels. Customer segments are organized geographically, with primary audiences comprising permanent and seasonal Hamptons residents, supplemented by Hamptons visitors and tourists and local business advertisers.

Name

The Independent

Legal name

Dan's Papers

Website

https://indyeastend.com/

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Independent (Dan's Papers) is a 60+ year regional newspaper and digital media outlet serving the Hamptons, North Fork, NYC, and Palm Beach communities, wholly owned by Schneps Media. It monetizes primarily through advertising and sponsored content from local businesses across arts, dining, real estate, and lifestyle verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Community Newspaper

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (51311), Newspaper Publishers (513110)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

Alternative/Independent Newsweeklies & Opinion Press (MPAJADAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)

Keywords

• Local newspaper publishing
• Community news media
• Regional lifestyle journalism
• Events calendar platform
• Sponsored content advertising

Headquarters

HQ city

East Hampton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Advertising and Sponsored Content: Display advertising and sponsored content from local businesses including Home Pros directory, local restaurants, galleries, event organizers, and Hamptons/North Fork service providers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Independent (Dan's Papers) publishes a weekly regional newspaper covering Hamptons and North Fork communities with news, arts and entertainment, real estate, sports, and lifestyle content. It operates as a free publication distributed physically across Long Island's East End and digitally through its website, digital editions, email newsletter, and a dedicated events calendar platform. Revenue is generated primarily through display advertising and sponsored content from local businesses, supplemented by a Home Pros directory of local service providers.

Product overview

Dan's Papers is a traditional print and digital news/media publication covering the Hamptons, North Fork, Palm Beach, and NYC communities. The company's core offerings include its flagship weekly digital newspaper accessible via Calameo, a comprehensive events calendar platform, and the real estate-focused sub-brand Behind the Hedges. Content spans arts & culture, food & drink, local news, lifestyle, and celebrity coverage for affluent East End audiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Behind the Hedges: Hamptons real estate focused publication and sister site
• Dan Rattiner's Stories
• Dan's Best of the Best
• Dan's Taste

Products and services

• Dan's Papers Digital Edition Online digital editions of the weekly Dan's Papers publication available through the Calameo platform, featuring current and archived issues covering Hamptons and East End lifestyle content for regional readers.
• Dan's Papers Events Calendar Comprehensive event listing platform covering Hamptons and North Fork community events including concerts, festivals, theater, fitness, galleries, family activities, and fundraisers. Allows users to view and post local events.
• Behind the Hedges Dedicated real estate publication covering the Hamptons luxury property market, accessible via behindthehedges.com as a sister site within the Schneps Media network.
• Dan's Best of the Best Annual awards and voters guide highlighting top local businesses, services, and attractions in the Hamptons and East End region.
• Home Pros Directory Local professionals directory connecting readers with vetted Hamptons service providers including contractors, landscapers, and home service professionals.
• Dan's Taste Food and drink related events and content sub-brand under Dan's Papers, showcasing Hamptons culinary coverage and cocktail recipes.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• amNY (Schneps Media): Sister publication under Schneps Media covering NYC news, events, and lifestyle with the same advertising-and-sponsored-content model; directly comparable regional free weekly with overlapping audience and sales infrastructure.
• Long Island Press (Schneps Media): Sister Schneps Media publication focused on Long Island regional news and lifestyle content; shares parent ownership, distribution model, and advertising-driven revenue approach with Dan's Papers.
• Behind the Hedges (Schneps Media): Sub-brand and sister publication of Dan's Papers covering Hamptons luxury real estate; operates the same hyperlocal advertising model but in a single high-CPM vertical, making it the closest functional peer.
• East Hampton Star: Long-standing direct competitor covering East Hampton and the Hamptons with both print and digital editions; competes head-to-head with Dan's Papers for the same local advertising and reader base.
• 27east.com (East Hampton Star digital): Digital arm of the East Hampton Star covering the South Fork with the same hyperlocal news, events, and advertising model; a direct substitute for Dan's Papers among Hamptons audiences.
• Dan's Best of the Best: Dan's Papers' own annual voters-guide and awards sub-brand, included as a peer reference point for the directory/lists monetization layer that complements the core publication.
• Patch.com: National hyperlocal news network covering Hamptons and other Long Island communities; competes with Dan's Papers for both reader attention and SMB advertising dollars in the same geographic footprint.
• Hamptons.com: Local Hamptons events, dining, and lifestyle guide operating with a similar advertising and sponsored-content model; targets the same seasonal resident and visitor audience.
• New York Family (Schneps Media): Another Schneps Media regional publication serving NYC families; shares parent ownership, content syndication, and ad-sales infrastructure with Dan's Papers.

Broad incumbents

• Village Voice: Historic alternative weekly covering NYC arts, culture, and local news under an advertising-supported model; comparable as an alternative/independent weekly format though operating in a different geographic market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/indyeastend

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Independent