On Wednesday night, before the movers and shakers of Long Island, Jed Morey, the publisher of the award-winning Long Island Press, announced that he has sold his company to us – Schneps Communications. We are thrilled to take on this historic brand.
Jed founded the Long Island Press in 2003 after purchasing the free bi-monthly entertainment themed newspaper The Island Ear and renaming it after the old Long Island Daily Press, a newspaper launched in 1821 as The Long Island Farmer which was published until 1977 under the Long Island Press title.
Whomever I have told about our acquisition has a fond memory and a story to tell about Long Island Press – some remember delivering the paper in their neighborhood, while others recall reading a story published in the paper.
Morey Publishing, under Jed’s leadership, became a weekly, then a monthly and now a digital property publishing award-winning stories as LongIslandPress.com.
The night of the announcement of the passing of the torch to us, Jed told the 250 people in attendance at the Crest Hollow Country Club Power List annual event that he was proud of many of the breaking news stories his talented team wrote, from breaking the Newsday circulation scandal to the first reporting of the opium crisis on Long Island.
Over the last 14 years, Jed had created a signature event called the “Power List” recognizing the Long Island’s 50 most influential people. He lightheartedly introduced them after keynote remarks from the popular and powerful New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli and sponsors of the event Canon U.S.A. Executive Vice President and General Counsel Seymour Liebman, and Bethpage Federal Credit Union CEO Wayne Grossé, welcoming the powerful people filling the room.
I was a proud mother as my son Josh took the podium after Jed’s announcement and shared with the impressive crowd how humbled and excited we are to take the helm of such a venerable news media outlet that has meant so much to the Island, and shared my advocacy work on behalf of children with disabilities and our devotion to an independent press focused on community news for over 30 years.
Old friend PR heavyweight Katherine Heaviside entered the Hall of Fame. Among the other honorees were leaders from the banking world — new friend CEO of Bridgehampton National Bank, now known as BNB, Kevin O’Connor; and old friend CEO of New York Community Bancorp Joe Ficalora – and from the health world, the incredibly successful CEO of Northwell Michael Dowling, and Dr. Steven Mendelsohn, CEO of Zwanger-Pesiri Radiology expanding into Queens and Brooklyn.
The tradition of the Long Island Press is a powerful one, and Josh and I look forward to seeing it continue as a valued brand, bringing the best of Long Island to our readers.
