A diverse group of established and seasoned journalists, writers, filmmakers and notable Asbury Park advocates and civic leaders have come together to form the Asbury Park Media Collective (APMC). The organization is new but the long-standing working relationships among the members, coupled with an impressive collective track record in civic media in Asbury Park and beyond provides a solid foundation for this new initiative.
Our mission is to identify, train, mentor and launch a new group of community reporters who will report and document news, public events and explore the public policies that shape the city of Asbury Park. The Collective shares the sentiments of Julie Burton, President of Women’s Media Center, when she espouses, “Who tells the story is every bit as important as what the story is — and often the former determines the latter.” We aim to create an incubator for emerging community reporters and local media makers.
The work our community reporters produce over the course of the training sessions — news articles, news broadcasts for radio, news videos and documentary short subjects, podcasts, and social media posts — will be published and disseminated through a website and our network of local media partners. APMC project will serve people who live in Asbury Park, and will prioritize the voices of residents who are underrepresented. The media we create together will specifically serve the Black and Haitian communities; Spanish-speaking residents; the LGBTQIA community; as well as, youth, elderly, those who are differently-abled, and long-term Asbury Park residents. We believe those most at risk of being displaced by hyper-gentrification.
Our writers
Writer
BiBiSaran Bennett, a dedicated educator, advocate, skilled photographer and writer, joins the Asbury Park Reporter as a columnist and photographer. With a background in psychology, special education, media design, and event production, she brings creativity, compassion, and a keen eye for storytelling to her reporting. As the owner of BSB Fotography, founder of ZADF and a committed community leader, she embodies a passion for uplifting her hometown of Asbury Park and illuminating the stories that matter most. More by BiBi Bennett
Founding Member
Kerry Margaret Butch is a founding member of the Asbury Park Reporter. Throughout her career, she worked to increase grassroots input in local public policy. She served as the Executive Director of both the Asbury Park Consortium and the League of Women Voters of New Jersey. Notably, she produced the documentaries entitled, “Greetings from Asbury Park,” shown throughout the country and on PBS, and “Storming for the Vote: Hurricane Sandy and the Election.” More by Kerry Butch
Writer
Dae’Sani Clarke is a 19-year-old Asbury Park resident and a rising Junior studying Journalism at Monmouth University. She has been writing for the Outlook Newspaper for the past three years. Recently, she became President of Monmouth University’s Chapter of the The National Council of Black Women. The main thing Dae’Sani enjoys about reporting is getting to know people and their stories.She believes reporters have the ability to lift voices and offer a platform for people to be heard. More by Dae’Sani Clarke
Writer
Brenda Hamlet is a journalist covering trends in the media and arts. Brenda lives in Asbury Park and teaches writing at Kean University. Her contributions will focus on the state of the Arts in Asbury Park. More by Brenda Hamlet
Writer
Lauren studied Public Relations and minored in Journalism and Marketing at SUNY Plattsburgh, and recently reclaimed her passion for writing. Her goal is to raise awareness and give life to ALL voices of Asbury Park. Lauren was raised in New York but has roots in Asbury Park. She is a recent resident of Asbury and is excited to share with all who inhabit it. More by Lauren Nadel
Maureen Nevin is an award-winning independent journalist who has won the National Press Club’s First Place Award for Consumer Journalism for “Who’s Watching the Watchdog?” An Asbury Park resident from fall of 1999 to 2021, Nevin launched and hosted a live call-in show Asbury Radio – The Radio Voice of Asbury Park from July 2000 to November 2006, broadcast over WYGG 88.1 FM and the internet. More by Maureen Nevin
Columnist
An industry maven, Tiasia Newman has worked 23 of her 36 years across genres in the entertainment industry. In 2019, Newman’s clothing line, Vintage Brothel, made her a sustainable fashion designer. She is a senior journalist with BigBreak Magazine and works with the people next in line to run the entertainment world. Newman’s goal is to give a voice to her community through her own.
A columnist for Asbury Park Reporter, her axiom is: Remember Darling, the show must go on, and in good fashion. More by Tiasia Newman
Writer
Lorraine Stone is a founding member of the Asbury Park Reporter. She is a native of Asbury Park, a journalist, actress and a performance artist. She is also a founding board member of the Asbury Park Museum. More by Lorraine Stone
Founding Member
Toni Zimmer is a founding member of the Asbury Park Reporter. She was president of The Writers Group, a small company that provided technical documentation for the power industry. She also served on the League of Women Voters in various leadership roles such as President of the League of Women Voters of NJ and on the Executive Board of LWVUS. She offers expertise on voting rights, elections, and civic engagement. Toni enjoys spending time with her family, writing, and working with young adults and children as a theatre Teaching Artist. More by Toni Zimmer
