It’s a great pleasure to welcome you to the Fair Media Council’s annual Folio Awards. I thank all of you for being here!
I am honored to hold this position, because like you, I feel that it is important that the media is held to the belief that good reporting is essential to our community. Fair reporting is essential for the well-being of the people who depend on the media to give them an inside look to what’s happening in the world around them. It is this duty of the FMC to hold the media responsible to this belief. It is this duty that the FMC has always practiced. And, it is for this that I have been involved with the FMC for over 20 years and one of the many reasons why I accepted the Council’s chairmanship for a second tour of duty.
The role of this organization has evolved over the 30 years of its existence, as it works hard at educating and informing the public about the media, and in turn, working with the media to be responsible players in the fabric of our daily lives. The role of the media, the role of journalism itself, has drastically changed. The spontaneity of how news is distributed, the accuracy of it all, the way we all become instant journalist by merely hitting the video button on our smart phones, has dramatically impacted the way the media functions. We have come a long way from the Pony Express days!
How do we as a society accept these changes? The FMC stands ready to dissect it all as it 
assures our community that the ‘media remains relevant’ in a constant changing world.
Folio recognizes all this and much more. It brings together hundreds of business leaders to recognize the best in news and social media and to celebrate the accomplishments of those who protect this precious gift of a ‘free press.’ Thomas Jefferson said, “The only security of all is a free press.” Today we revel in it!
I congratulate all the Folio winners as they deserve our accolades for being the best of the best. It is because of them that we are here today. I also give a special salute to ‘Mr. Smooth,’ the one and only Ernie Anastos, for receiving our highest honor, the FMC’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Thank you, the media presenters, for taking time out of your busy schedules to participate today. You make this event the premier business and social gathering on Long Island.
To Jaci Clement, I give my sincere thanks and gratitude for making FMC a one-of-a-kind organization that benefits our community and our region. Jaci, you are the best!
Finally, a big thank you to all of you who have attended and making this year’s Folio another winner!
Sit back and enjoy as we celebrate together.
Regards,
Jim Kinney