No, you are not imagining things.

The newspaper you now hold differs greatly from the one you have been accustomed to, perhaps for many years.

The look of the paper and its content have changed in big and small ways, whether you are a Blank Slate reader, an Anton Media Group reader or both.

There are two reasons for the changes.

The first is simple. Schenps Media, New York’s No. 1 local media company,  has purchased Anton Media and its main competitor, Blank Slate Media.

What you now see is the coming together of two newspaper groups whose reach covered the communities of North Hempstead and Oyster Bay, drawing on the strengths of both to make something better.

This is seen in the newspapers’ strong commitment to covering local news – from government to schools to our neighbors – a robust opinion section and expanded coverage of entertainment and ways to enjoy living in Nassau County.

Blank Slate and Anton Media newspapers in four communities – Great Neck, Roslyn, Manhasset, and Port Washington – have been combined to make them more efficient, increase circulation and expand news coverage.

Two Blank Slate and four Anton Media newspapers will continue as separate publications, bringing the total number of newspapers in the group to 10.

Stirring the pot is Schneps Media, a company that began more than 40 years ago as a Queens weekly newspaper, which founder Victoria Schneps put together in her living room.

That company has grown to 100 properties, including weekly newspapers across Long Island and New York City, family publications, ethnic newspapers, two daily newspapers, a digital division, and a robust events business.

The company’s deep well of experience and talent offers a support group unmatched among media groups in New York, which can already be seen in this week’s papers.

The second reason for the change is the state of newspapers in 2024.

At a time when democracy is threatened by a tsunami of disinformation and misinformation, daily and weekly newspapers are under threat across the country

More than 3,000 newspapers nationwide have closed since 2004 – and New York newspapers have been particularly hard hit, according to the Empire State Local News Coalition, a group of 150 newspapers.

“In 2004, New York boasted 501 newspapers; today, it’s only 260,” the coalition wrote. “In 2022 alone, 30 newspapers closed across the state”

Help wanted and other classified advertising that were once the most profitable sections of daily and weekly newspapers have moved online. And, to a lesser extent, advertisers who customarily appear throughout the paper have migrated to a digital ecosystem controlled by Google through its dominance of online ad sales.

But nothing has replaced local newspapers for gathering and reporting local news in an even-handed manner in which facts get checked and more than one side is presented in a story or post.

Gov. Kathy Hochul and the state Legislature recently approved the Local Journalism Sustainability Act, which will provide tax credits to local news outlets for hiring reporters and editors.

But even with this assistance, few areas in New York, including Nassau County, can support two newspaper groups.  And few companies have the scale and resources needed to compete in rapidly changing business.

The marriage of Blank Slate with Anton Media offers readers more and better news coverage for the communities they serve, with more reporters and more resources.

Schneps Media’s many divisions offer advertisers many more ways to reach their audience.

There are no doubt people who have concerns about one change or another that we have made. That’s understandable, and we welcome your suggestions for how we can improve.

But times have changed. And, in this case, for the better.