Eric Santomauro-Stenzel, a 25-year-old journalist originally from Sayville on the south shore of Long Island, joined the staff of The Daily Star as a reporter this week.
He began his career in September 2025 at Iron String Press, which publishes The Freeman’s Journal and Hometown Oneonta, and is also known by its website, AllOtsego.
He was recruited to the position at The Daily Star by editor Robert Cairns, and was attracted to the opportunity to work at a daily newspaper in Oneonta, a city he described as having a vibrant downtown and with many cultural and arts opportunities.
“I’ve really come to like the area over the time that I’ve been here,” he said.
Since moving to Otsego County, Santomauro-Stenzel has covered a wide variety of topics as a general assignment reporter. His reporting has included stories on economic development, law enforcement and coverage of municipal government, such as the village of Cooperstown and the town of Hartwick, and county-level news, as well as human interest stories.
Santomauro-Stenzel holds an undergraduate degree from Hamilton College, where he graduated from in 2024 with an interdisciplinary major. He then earned a master’s degree from Columbia Journalism School in 2025, completing a one-year program.
Santomauro-Stenzel said he was drawn to local journalism due to his background in political work and community organizing, having noticed a lack of public awareness and engagement with local government.
“I found that, as I started transitioning to journalism, when you inform people, that can improve every aspect of local governance,” he said. “I think through my work at All Otsego, I was really able to see that you can make a big difference just by shining a light on something.”
He believes that informing the public about local governance can improve community outcomes and bring attention to important issues that might otherwise go unnoticed.
“I have observed stories that were covered nationally, most notably the shooting of Nyah Mway in Utica, and of course the coverage of what was happening at Columbia last year,” he said, referring to the pro-Palestinian demonstrations and encampments on campus protesting the war in Gaza. “What I learned with both of these examples, and more, is that national media often parachutes in and gets a version of the story that can often look very different from the reality on the ground. Local journalists are usually the ones to get the necessary context and depth to tell a true and accurate story.
Santomauro-Stenzel also has a personal connection to Upstate New York through his late grandfather, who was raised in Saugerties. Although Santomauro-Stenzel never met him, this family history has contributed to his sense of connection to the area.
“He was working at a candy shop, and my grandmother met him, and he pursued her, and that’s kind of where my family history got started,” he said.
“Eric has already impressed us with his commitment to local news,” Cairns said. “We’re looking forward to his contributions to The Daily Star.”