Fair Media Council digital news event to feature Long Island Times
The Fair Media Council is hosting an event on digital news leaders that features the Long Island Times and two other outlets.
Called “The New Front Page,” the masterclass and pitch session takes place from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 21 in the lower level auditorium at 58 S. Service Road in Melville.
At the event, the founders of Long Island Times (Jonathan Max), Greater Long Island (Michael White) and Innovate Long Island (Gregory Zeller), will explain how digital-only outlets are reshaping local news, then take story pitches from attendees.
The session is built for communications directors, CMOs, public relations and marketing professionals, nonprofit executives, and business leaders responsible for their organization’s visibility on Long Island. Participants will leave knowing which outlet fits which story, how to pitch each one, and with a direct connection to the people who decide what runs.
“The people who know how to pitch and who they’re pitching are the ones who get news coverage,” said Jaci Clement, CEO and executive director of the Fair Media Council. “Too many communications teams rely on outdated methods, because the landscape is constantly changing and fragmenting. This session brings together the people working to get news coverage with the people who can make it happen.”
The shift to digital-first local news is national and accelerating. The share of U.S. adults who get local news from online-only sources more than doubled, from 15% in 2018 to 33% in 2024, according to Pew Research Center, and roughly half of adults now prefer to get their local news through digital platforms. Even readers of traditional papers have moved: 68% of people who get news from local daily newspapers now primarily read them online, up from 43% in 2018. Northwestern University’s Medill Local News Initiative reports that more than 300 local news startups have launched in the past five years, and 80% of them are digital-only.
Tickets are $135 for nonmembers and $99 for employees of FMC member organizations. Registration includes a continental breakfast, networking, the presentation and the pitch session, and a portion of the ticket price is tax deductible.
The session is part of FMC’s Masterclass Series; attendees who complete four masterclasses in the series earn an FMC certificate.The event series is sponsored by Northwell Health, St. Joseph’s University and Protiviti.
Space is limited, and tickets must be purchased in advance here: fairmediacouncil.org/the-new-front-page-a-masterclass-on-long-island-digital-news/
