Fair Media Council to Bring Three Long Island Digital News Publishers Together for October 21 Media Masterclass

MELVILLE, NY – The Fair Media Council will bring together the founders of three Long Island digital news publications on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, for a masterclass exploring how online journalism is changing local news coverage and how organizations can better connect with the media. The event, titled “The New Front Page: Masterclass & Pitch Session,” will take place from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at 58 South Service Road in Melville.

The program will feature Michael White of Greater Long Island Media Group, Gregory Zeller of Innovate Long Island, and Jonathan Max of The Long Island Times. Each publication serves a different segment of the Long Island news audience, offering attendees an opportunity to learn about their editorial interests, approaches to coverage, and preferences for receiving story ideas.

Michael White founded Greater Long Island in 2015, initially launching Greater Patchogue before expanding the publication into a regional digital news organization. The independently owned company covers community developments, local government, businesses, events and other news across Nassau and Suffolk counties. According to the Fair Media Council, Greater Long Island recorded nearly 11.5 million page views in 2025.

Gregory Zeller is the editor and publisher of Innovate Long Island, a digital publication focused on the region’s innovation economy, entrepreneurship, technology, research and business development. Zeller co-founded the publication in 2015 with the late John Kominicki, a longtime Long Island journalist and publishing executive. Zeller brings more than 35 years of professional journalism experience to the discussion.

Jonathan Max founded The Long Island Times in 2018. The publication emphasizes positive community developments, charitable initiatives, nonprofit organizations, business openings and individuals contributing to Long Island’s social and economic well-being. Its editorial approach reflects the publication’s motto, “No good deed goes unpublished.”

In addition to hearing directly from the publishers, attendees will have an opportunity to pitch potential news stories to the three participants. The program is intended for public relations professionals, marketing and communications executives, nonprofit leaders, business owners and others interested in obtaining local media coverage.

“The people who know how to pitch and who they’re pitching are the ones who get news coverage,” said Jaci Clement, CEO and executive director of the Fair Media Council, in the organization’s event announcement. Clement emphasized that the changing and increasingly fragmented media landscape requires communications professionals to understand the individual publications they hope to reach.

The event is part of the Fair Media Council’s Masterclass Series, which provides educational programming designed to improve communication between news organizations, businesses and the public. The series is supported by Northwell Health, St. Joseph’s University and Protiviti.

Event Location

Key Facts & Details

Advance registration is required, and seating is limited. Tickets are nonrefundable. Long Island businesses, nonprofit organizations and communications professionals interested in learning how digital news publishers select and develop local stories can find additional information and purchase tickets through the Fair Media Council’s official event website.