MV President Amier C. Younis and Sales and Marketing Supervisor Hazel Sadian announced the changes during the Saipan Chamber of Commerce’s October general membership meeting.
The website address remains the same: mvariety.com/.
Younis said the redesign removes the visual “clutter” of the old content management system. He added that Variety wanted the new site to provide free options for readers to submit ads, notices, letters to the editor, graduation and wedding announcements, obituaries, and more.
For example, under the new “Submit” tab, users can select “News Tip,” which prompts them to provide details and supporting information.
“All submissions — including community announcements — are vetted by Variety staff before publication,” Younis said. “There is no charge for user-submitted content because we want to remain close to our community.”
He added: “Part of being in the media and communicating with our community is sharing the good news and celebrating families’ accomplishments. We see growing concern about media disappearing in some communities and cities — they call them news deserts. That’s why we want to provide this service. There’s no money involved. If you have a child who graduated from the military, or someone who excelled in college, we want to share that.”
In the near future, the new content management system will also host more than 50 years of Variety’s archival records. Younis said the process will take time due to the sheer amount of material.
Sadian noted that the e-edition of the newspaper now includes an audio version to improve accessibility. Two subscription tiers are also planned: a “Daily Reader” tier with access to archives back to 2021, and a “Researcher” tier with access extending to 1972.
Variety’s first issue was published on March 16, 1972, when the NMI was still a Trust Territory district administered by the U.S.
