Let us go back in time to April 18th, 1995. A postage stamp cost 32 cents. A McDonalds Big Mac meal cost $2.99. Gas for the car averaged 90 cents a gallon. The world was glued to the O.J. Simpson trial. Bad Boys with Will Smith topped the box office.The number one song in the U.S. was “This Is How We Do It” by Montell Jordan. Cell phones weighed a ton and could only make calls. The internet was slow as molasses and Google had not been founded yet.
Some of you reading this may have been working, raising children, learning your ABC’s or having your diapers changed – others may not have been a twinkle yet.
In the basement of a home in Pine Lake Park, former copy machine salesman Stew Swann and his niece Robyn Laird were making Ocean County history – creating the first edition of The Manchester Times.
They were aided by Stew’s late wife Alice, who showed her unconditional love and support through the entire inception of Micromedia Publications.
It’s 30 years later and Micromedia has seven weekly newspapers, three hyperlocal news websites, thousands of readers, many loyal advertisers and the respect from the local government and communities we serve.
Our print newspapers are everywhere, we have over 100,000 social media followers, we’re on the Newsbreak app, Google News, Apple News, on radio spots and our Jersey Shore Online continues to keep everyone updated and informed with millions of pageviews each year.
Micromedia has an incredibly talented staff who are dedicated to the mission statement the company was founded on: the importance of community.
The first edition of The Manchester Times dated April 18, 1995.
The commitment to the management, design, the fair & balanced journalism, the sales and distribution of our products has never been interrupted – even through tragic times like 9/11/01, Superstorm Sandy and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Micromedia has also been helping small businesses flourish through affordable print and digital advertising. This keeps the money local, and every penny of ad revenue we earn allows us to keep our papers free and our staff working.
I have been with the company since 2013 and I can say with great confidence that our readers and advertisers are getting a fantastic product each week and each day online.
Micromedia Vice President Jason Allentoff recently spoke to residents of Leisure Village on the importance of local news and navigating fake news.
While other local media outlets continue to fold, Micromedia prevails as our company President Stew Swann puts his staff and products above profits. The company’s survival has always been his top priority and we hope to be here for another 30 years and beyond.
We appreciate you and remember, this is YOUR community newspaper. We are here for YOU!
Jason Allentoff
Vice President/COO
Micromedia Publications
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