Steve Moss

Who is Steve Moss?

Stephen Donnellan Moss was an editor and publisher who founded two major weekly newspapers in California’s Central Coast and created the 55 Fiction short story contest.

Moss founded the San Luis Obispo New Times with Beverly Johnson and Alex Zuniga in 1986. He financed it with a few thousand dollars raised by cashing in his IRA account and borrowing from his aunt, Professor Mary Josephine Moss of San Jose State University. By 2005, the paper had a circulation of over 20,000 and revenues exceeding $1,000,000. per year. In 2002 he launched the Santa Maria Sun in the city of Santa Maria, 30 miles south. He was the majority shareholder in the publishing corporation, and majority owner and builder of the 10,000 square foot headquarters building at 505 Higuera St., San Luis Obispo.