Please enjoy this Express Sessions while Behind The Headlines is off. This was recorded live on December 20, 2025 and has been edited for time and conciseness. An unedited version can be found here.

The "Local Matters" series, a special five-part set of Express Sessions events, continued on November 20 at Cowfish.

Please enjoy this Express Sessions while Behind The Headlines is off. This was recorded live on December 11, 2025 and has been edited for time and conciseness. An unedited version can be found here.

The "Local Matters" series, a special five-part set of Express Sessions events, continued on December 11 with a luncheon panel discussion in Amagansett at Rowdy Hall. The conversation focused on issues of direct consequence to East Hampton Village, East Hampton Town and its environs, and the panel included both town and village leaders. Topics were chosen by the community. As with every Express Sessions event, those in attendance had a chance to ask questions and offer comments on the subjects at hand.

The Washington Post recently gutted much of their staff, in departments ranging from sports to their flagship podcast. Many large outlets like Slate and The Atlantic have described the layoffs as Jeff Bezos "killing" or "murdering" the Post. What does this dismantling mean for the media landscape and what picture does it paint for local news outlets in particular? This week's Behind The Headlines features Express News Group Publisher Gavin Menu, speaking from the perspective of a business owner with a bottom line, but also a local community leader who recognizes that local newspapers are so much more than just another business.

This week's panel is:

1. Joe Shaw, Consulting Editor at The Express News Group
2. Bill Sutton, Editor-in-chief at The Express News Group
3. Denise Civiletti, Editor & Publisher of RiverheadLocal
4. Beth Young, Editor & Publisher of East End Beacon
5. Gavin Menu, Publisher at The Express News Group
6. Chrissy Sampson, Director of Community Engagement at LTV

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