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Sag Harbor Express / Editorials / Opinion / 1895289

A Letter from the Publishers: 'Express Pass' Membership and Subscription Changes

Editorial Board on Feb 28, 2019

To Our Readers,

Since its founding in 1859, The Sag Harbor Express has seen the Village of Sag Harbor through a series of changing times. Launched as the whaling industry was approaching its sunset, The Express was not the first newspaper in Sag Harbor. That honor goes to Frothingham’s Long-Island Herald, Long Island’s first-ever newspaper published between 1791 and 1796. There was also the Sag Harbor News, the Sag Harbor Corrector and the Sag Harbor Herald, but ultimately it was The Express that survived and thrived as the paper of record for Sag Harbor Village, the Village of North Haven and school districts in Sag Harbor and Bridgehampton. We have been named “Newspaper of the Year” by the New York Press Association three times since 2013, and have won the prestigious Stuart C. Dorman Award for Editorial Excellence a record six times.

Newspapers have come a long way since David Frothingham published quirky stories, sermons and national and international news in Sag Harbor. The Express today is focused almost entirely on local news, covering our elected officials and school boards with more depth than any other paper. We also shine lights on the success stories in our small slice of the world, from the triumphs of our children to the efforts to preserve the area’s historic character and way of life.

Times have changed yet again in Sag Harbor in terms of the cost of doing business and the demographics of our full- and part-time populations. The newspaper has been forced to change as well. We feature some of the best writers and photographers who call the East End home, and have partnered with top printers and web designers to ensure a high level of quality in all of our products. Our online and social media presence is robust and we publish a series of lifestyle magazines under the banner of Express Magazine, again focused entirely on the East End market. We publish two boating and fishing sections, which complement a pair of in-water boat shows at the Breakwater Yacht Club. In special sections over the last year, we have examined the local real estate market, shed light on East End health care and celebrated our local graduates. In addition, our “Express Sessions” series are helping lead the community in conversations about topics that matter to you most. Whether it’s news, arts, sports, business news or lifestyle, we are producing more content than ever.

We mention all this because we will soon introduce a new “Express Pass” membership and subscription models and ways to access online content as well as exclusive and discounted access to special events. If you’re a regular reader of our online content, you will soon be asked to pay for it. We have always been at the forefront of covering Sag Harbor and its surrounding areas, and this will help us continue to do so. Starting soon, you will be asked to register online with your name and email. If you’re already a print subscriber, you will continue to receive complete access to sagharborexpress.com. If you’re not a subscriber but would like to be one, you can receive complete access to our print and digital products for $52 per year.

The cost of The Sag Harbor Express has always been a bargain, and we believe that spending a dollar a week for quality and well-produced journalism remains a great deal. The Express is consistently recognized as one of the top newspapers in all of New York State. For 160 years it has been at the center of Sag Harbor, covering the community first in print, and now online and through community-minded events as well. We hope The Express continues to publish for another 160 years, and that you come along for the ride. Thanks for reading.

Sincerely,

Gavin Menu and Kathryn G. Menu

Co-Publishers

The Sag Harbor Express and The Express Magazine

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