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

Enjoying this show? Rate and review us, and send this episode to someone who should hear it. Together we can keep community news alive on the East End.

------

WLIW-FM is community media for Eastern Long Island. Donate to WLIW-FM here.

Download the WLIW-FM app so you never miss a beat!

for Apple devices | for Android devices

This week on Behind The Headlines, the panel opens with a check-in on the recent severe winter weather conditions, with Denise Civiletti pointing out dangerous pedestrian conditions due to lack of snow clearing on many sidewalks. They also discusses the importance of community engagement in local governance, local impact of the ongoing ICE conflict in Minneapolis, the ways in which Facebook and Instagram shape public discourse and impact journalism, and the closing of Hampton Bays' movie theater. Beth Young mentions youth involvement in environmental initiatives and Annette Hinkle wraps the conversation talking the upcoming Ken Burns project on the American Revolution, emphasizing the need for historical narratives in contemporary discussions.

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. Annette Hinkle, Arts & Living Editor at The Express News Group

Enjoying this show? Rate and review us, and send this episode to someone who should hear it. Together we can keep community news alive on the East End.

------

WLIW-FM is community media for Eastern Long Island. Donate to WLIW-FM here.

Download the WLIW-FM app so you never miss a beat!

for Apple devices | for Android devices

With the growing prevalence of cameras in public spaces and what some refer to as a "surveillance state," many citizens are concerned with the widespread use of license plate readers and related video technologies in police departments. James Kiernan is Chief of Police for the Town of Southampton police department. He joins the panel to discuss the practical and local applications of video surveillance and how he views law enforcement's moral precedent to use technology available to them for the sake of public safety. The topic was prompted by a recent article from the East End Beacon about the seemingly sudden rise in solar-powered traffic cameras across the East End.

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. James Kiernan, Chief of Police for Southampton Town

Enjoying this show? Rate and review us, and send this episode to someone who should hear it. Together we can keep community news alive on the East End.

------

WLIW-FM is community media for Eastern Long Island. Donate to WLIW-FM here.

Download the WLIW-FM app so you never miss a beat!

for Apple devices | for Android devices

As the country grapples with a recent murder by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, the East End prepares for potential demonstrations and vigils. The panel expresses their personal views on the issues of ICE possibly causing more unrest than they solve. They also discuss the efforts of the Montaukett people to gain recognition from New York State, Jerry Halpin's unique style as the new Riverhead Town Supervisor, and horseshoe crab protection. They close the talk on a positive note about Peconic Community School's growth and the new programming's impacts on the local area.

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

Enjoying this show? Rate and review us, and send this episode to someone who should hear it. Together we can keep community news alive on the East End.

------

WLIW-FM is community media for Eastern Long Island. Donate to WLIW-FM here.

Download the WLIW-FM app so you never miss a beat!

for Apple devices | for Android devices

The Montaukett have been denied state recognition as a formal nation 7 times. In her recent veto memo, Gov. Hochul cites a case from 1910 in which the Montaukett were denied recognition as a formal nation. What is the reasoning behind her decision? Plus, what will the local impact be following the murder of Renee Nicole Good? The panel discusses these pressing issues plus horseshoe crab protection, Riverhead's news Town Supervisor, and a positive story about Peconic Community School.

Live on WLIW-FM Saturday at 10am, and on demand right here where you get podcasts.

Affordable housing continues to be a major topic of concern across the East End. New housing initiatives in Southampton and East Hampton will attempt to address it. The panel also outlines how frequent ICE sweeps and the presence of ICE officers is creating an air of great anxiety, especially among the Spanish-speaking community. Plus, the need for improvement to cellular tower and related infrastructure is becoming unavoidable.

This week's panel is:

• Joe Shaw, Consulting Editor at The Express News Group
• Bill Sutton, Editor-in-chief at The Express News Group
• Denise Civiletti, Editor & Publisher of RiverheadLocal
• Alek Lewis, Staff Reporter at Newsday
• Jack Motz, Staff Reporter at The Express News Group

Enjoying this show? Rate and review us, and send this episode to someone who should hear it. Together we can keep community news alive on the East End.

------

WLIW-FM is community media for Eastern Long Island. Donate to WLIW-FM here.

Download the WLIW-FM app so you never miss a beat!

for Apple devices | for Android devices

Local journalism and community newspapers are the heartbeat of a place, especially places like Shelter Island. Jake Williams has a deeply personal connection to both Shelter Island and its struggling hometown newspaper The Shelter Island Reporter as someone with many family ties to the island and a former writer for the outlet. He joined the panel to talk about his journey, what drove him to create the show, the impact of collapsing local journalism, and more.

Listen to "Out of Print: The Unmaking of American News" here, and wherever you get podcasts.

This week's panel is:

• Joe Shaw, Executive Editor at The Express News Group
• Bill Sutton, Managing Editor at The Express News Group
• Beth Young, Editor & Publisher of East End Beacon
• Denise Civiletti, Editor & Publisher of RiverheadLocal
• Jake Williams, journalist and podcast producer of "Out of Print"

Enjoying this show? Rate and review us, and send this episode to someone who should hear it. Together we can keep community news alive on the East End.

------

WLIW-FM is community media for Eastern Long Island. Donate to WLIW-FM here.

Download the WLIW-FM app so you never miss a beat!

for Apple devices | for Android devices