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You've probably never heard of Schneps Media, but if you live in any of the five boroughs of New York, you've probably encountered its content. Started as a single Queens newspaper in 1985, the company gradually bought up community news outlets all across New York, and it's since expanded into Philadelphia and even Palm Beach, Florida. It not only targets audiences by locale, but also ethnicity. And most of its news is completely free to read.

How has the company continued to grow despite so many headwinds in local news? To answer this question, I spoke to CEO Josh Schneps. He told the story of how his mother launched that first Queens newspaper and explained why businesses continue to advertise with him despite having plenty of other options.