In this week's Celebrate Your Story, I speak with Josh Schneps, CEO and co-publisher of Schneps Media, one of the largest networks of community media brands in the New York region. The company began in 1985 when his mother, Vicki Schneps, started a neighborhood newspaper at their Queens dining room table. Today it includes nearly 100 publications and sites serving communities across New York and Florida.

At a time when many local newspapers are disappearing, Schneps Media prints about 600,000 papers each week. But its success isn't just about print. The company has built a broader platform centered on the communities it serves — combining local journalism with events, digital publications, and partnerships with businesses that want to reach people close to home.

Josh also shared how new tools like artificial intelligence are helping his team monitor local conversations and surface story ideas. But he was clear about one thing: Technology may assist the work, but journalism still requires human judgment and responsibility.

Our conversation reminded me that in a world increasingly dominated by global platforms, there is still value in focusing on the communities around us. Local media can still play a powerful role in bringing communities together.