“The mission of a local newspaper should be to promote the highest ideals of community life,” by publishing “accurate, comprehensive news and lively commentary” so that “our readers are encouraged to feel the fulfillment of participating in all aspects of their community.” – Micromedia Mission Statement
LAKEHURST – April 18 is a very special date for Micromedia Publications. It was on this day, 22 years ago, that the first edition of The Manchester Times was published. What began as a small black and white newspaper with less than 20 pages, has ballooned into a high quality, well-read weekly. Stewart Swann and Robyn Weber Friedrich founded the company in the basement of Swann’s house in Pine Lake Park. As the paper grew, so did the need for a staff and office space. Micromedia made Lakehurst its permanent home on Union Avenue.
One year after launching Manchester, they developed The Berkeley Times. Five papers followed. In the year 2000, they started The Jackson Times, 2002 saw The Brick Times, 2004 was the year The Howell Times launched, The Toms River Times followed in 2005 and The Lacey-Barnegat Times started in 2010, which then expanded into The Southern Ocean Times in 2013.
The publications have been a vital source of information for the readers by providing news, events, editorials and commentary about the towns the papers serve. Because all of the Times newspapers are FREE to the readers, the company relies on advertising reveneue generated from the ads that appear in the paper to keep the ship sailing. Micromedia has always provided local business owners with an inexpensive way to get their message out to the public.
The first edition of The Manchester Times contained an editorial entitled “The Importance of Community,” which has been published within the first edition of all our newspapers since that time. It expressed the belief that the strength of our nation is founded upon the strength of our individual communities through “the simple associations we make in our community each and every day.” As such, the editorial continued, “We believe the mission of a local newspaper should be to promote the highest ideals of community life,” a mission we have tried to pursue faithfully through the years.
Over the last few years, Micromedia has expanded to offer a news enhanced website that lets us reach our readers daily – not just weekly. It also gives us the opportunity to give advertisers an additional vehicle to reach their potential customers. Our social media sites including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter continue to grow in popularity. You can read all of our news in print and on your desktop, smartphone and tablet.
If you have story ideas, reach our news editor Chris Lundy at clundy@jerseyshoreonline.com.
Thank you to all of our advertisers who have supported us over the years and thank you to all of our readers who have been loyal for over two decades.
Here’s to another 22 years plus!!
Jason Allentoff
General Manager/Editor-In-Chief
jallentoff@jerseyshoreonline.com
