The Merced Sun-Star evolved from the San Joaquin Valley Argus, a weekly newspaper based in the nearby town of Snelling which began publishing the paper in 1869.

In July 2024, the newspaper announced it will decrease the number of print editions to three days a week: Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

[6] The Merced Sun-Star is owned by The McClatchy Company, which purchased it in 2004 along with five non-dailes in Atwater, Chowchilla, Livingston, Los Banos, and Oakhurst.

[citation needed] The newspaper won its second APME award (this one in the First Amendment category) in 2009 after it exposed a series of racist emails sent by an Atwater city councilman.

[8] The Sun-Star also has an online edition offering the latest news, sports, weather and information affecting the Merced and Mariposa counties.