www.ROCedition.com
R C Edition OCEAN PINES • WEST OCEAN CITY • BERLIN MD
September 1, 2025
THE PEOPLE’S PAPER
Volume 2, Issue 17
ROC Edition expands to print Sept. 30, launches new multimedia monthly publishing schedule By Sherrie Clifford ROC Edition Publisher Ocean Pines ROC will reach a new milestone this fall, with the first print copy of ROC Edition set to hit the stands on Tuesday, Sept. 30. The expansion marks a major step forward for the community news outlet, which has grown steadily as the leading independent voice for Ocean Pines and its surrounding area. Beginning Sept. 30, ROC Edition will publish on a new monthly schedule. The newspaper will appear online and in print on the last Tuesday of each month. The ROC Buzz podcast will be released on the 10th of each month, delivering news and interviews in audio format. Meanwhile, the Ocean Pines ROC Facebook page will continue to be updated daily with breaking news, community updates and interactive discussion to its base of over 4,400 members. The move to print reflects ROC Edition’s continued growth in readership and its commitment to expanding access to reliable, community-driven news. Print editions will be available at distribution points across Ocean Pines and surrounding areas, while the online edition will continue to reach readers at www.ROCedition.com and other platforms. “Going into print is a natural next step for ROC Edition,” said the editorial team. “We began as a digital publication, but the support of our readers and advertisers has shown there’s a real demand for a physical newspaper. By combining print, online, podcast and social media, we can continue to deliver news across multiple platforms and keep the community informed every day.” Ocean Pines ROC Inc., launched just two years ago, has since built a following of thousands of engaged readers. Its mix of in-depth reporting, coverage of HOA meetings
and community features has helped shape the conversation in Ocean Pines. With the addition of a print edition, ROC strengthens its role as the most comprehensive and accessible news source for the community. Readers can expect the Sept. 30 edition to feature full coverage of local governance, community projects and a look ahead at the issues that matter most to residents. ROC Edition now online, in print, on podcast and on Facebook continues its mission as the people’s paper, delivering independent news for the Ocean Pines community and the surrounding areas.
ROC Edition will debut its first print edition on Sept.30, expanding its coverage across print, digital, podcast and social media channels as part of a new monthly publishing schedule.
Old politics, new politics: Independent reporting across multimedia channels changes the game in Ocean Pines By Sherrie Clifford ROC Edition Publisher For decades, Ocean Pines politics followed a predictable rhythm. Information was filtered through a handful of familiar outlets, residents exchanged sharp words at board meetings and a small number of longtime personalities set the tone for community debate. But in 2025, the landscape looks entirely different. The passing of local media figure Tom Stauss, the shuttering of OceanPinesForum.com and the emergence of ROC Edition as the community’s most active platform have ushered in a new era, one where communication and politics are changing rapidly. For more than 20 years, OceanPinesForum.com served as the community’s digital town square. Managed by Joe Reynolds, the forum gave homeowners a place to debate budgets, amenities and board elections. It was unfiltered, sometimes contentious, but it represented
one of the first online spaces where residents could speak directly to one another without waiting for board meetings or official newsletters. During that same era, the Ocean Pines Progress newspaper, founded and run by Tom Stauss, offered long-form reporting and pointed analysis. Stauss was a fixture at board meetings, notebook in hand, chronicling both policy decisions and the personalities behind them. For years, the Progress was the mainstay for residents who wanted depth and context, particularly during election seasons. Between the Forum and the Progress, homeowners had access to both real-time chatter and in-depth reporting. The combination shaped what might be called the “old politics” of Ocean Pines, a blend of traditional HOA governance and grassroots community debate. With the passing of the baton, ROC Edition has, over the past two years, grown from a small digital publication into a widely read local news source in Ocean
Pines. ROC has built its readership steadily through community-focused reporting, detailed coverage of board meetings and investigative pieces on issues such as governance, elections and amenity management. It is not just a single-voice platform. It has become a platform supported by podcasts, social media and a growing advertising base. The Ocean Pines ROC Facebook group, with more than 4,400 members, functions as a real-time community conversation hub, while the ROC Buzz podcast delivers audio versions of stories and interviews with local residents and leaders. Building on that growth, ROC Edition will expand into print beginning Sept. 30, bringing its coverage to distribution points across the community. Together, its digital and print platforms ensure that ROC is not just reporting news but shaping the discussion in Ocean Pines. With that influence comes responsibility. Readers increasingly
See POLITICS page 2