NewsBeat

December 2022 NewsBeat 4 By JUDY PATRICK Express News Group finds shared purpose, deeper community connections with merger T he Express News Group has found strength in numbers. The enterprise, created in 2019 with the merger of the Sag Harbor Express and the Press News Group, publishes The Southampton Press (Eastern and Western editions), The East Hampton Press and The Sag Harbor Express weekly newspapers as well as The Express Magazine and the on- line flagship of 27east.com. The consolidation has given new life to two historic papers while enabling them to retain their identities: The Southampton Express dates back to 1897, the Sag Harbor Press to 1859. "That's a lot of history and there's a lot of responsibility that comes with that," said Gavin Menu, who with his wife Kathryn is owner and publisher of the Express News Group. All four of the papers serve the eastern end of Long Island, a region famous for its waterfront and beaches, fishing, farming and the whaling port of Sag Harbor but now known to many more as a haven for the rich, the powerful and the famous. But for the people who live in this part of Long Island, the news that matters is the news of their daily lives. That's always been the focus, the Menus say. The wife and husband team say the combined operation has enabled them to pursue a more robust mission and new forms of community jour- Bill Sutton, the managing editor of The Express News Group, working on deadline on Wednesday, November 9. Deputy managing editor Brendan O'Reilly and reporter Cailin Riley check pages on Wednes- day, November 9. Photo by Dana Shaw. Gavin and Kathryn Menu with their children Ella, 13, and Charlie, 8. nalism. There's more content, more investigative pieces and more interaction with the com- munity, according to Kathryn, who helps oversee the editorial side of the operation. "We are wrapping up our first environ- mental series, The Rising Tide, which was led by Michelle Trauing, and looked at the impacts of climate change on or region and beyond," she noted. "We could have done that when we were a single flag, but it would have been a heavier lift. As a larger group we are able to support each other and work collectively on news packages and events that support our communi- ties." "The four newspapers, the website and magazines they publish are quite sim- ply terrific," said Michelle Rea, executive director of the New York Press Associa- tion. In addition to high-im- pact design, great writing and fabulous photography, the company has bolstered an incredible connection to the communities they serve with its Express Sessions, an ongoing series of community forums and town hall meetings where community members get together to discuss and develop actionable solutions to local issues, she said. Both Menus stressed the value that their staff bring to the success of their opera- tion. "We are fortunate to be surrounded by some of the best community journal- ists, salespeople and all-around newspaper professionals in the business," said Gavin, who focuses on the company's business operations. Gavin also serves as president

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