Since its first local issue in September 2004, the magazine became distributed worldwide and featured articles relating to the environment, current affairs, music, fashion, and surf and skate culture.

Stranger was started by Helen Gilchrist,[1] a freelance journalist who funded the project with loans from The Princes Trust and Objective One.

[5] Not everyone was as impressed with the magazine and in February 2006 a detractor posted on a website that Stranger presented the most "banal, misleading and downright disgusting portrayal of Cornwall ever.

[7] In 2007, Stranger also began publishing on the Internet to extend its brand beyond print publication and to better reach its target 18 to 35-year-old age group.

[10] In addition to reaching out to the community through its website, Stranger has organised a number of charity and social events in conjunction with the magazine.