Can you believe it’s February already? January tested the resolve of many as we battled the ferocious and destructive storms. Cheers to those who made it through dry January and those who are sticking to your resolutions — I admire your commitment to improving your health and wellness.

We are feeling recharged and ever optimistic as the turn of the calendar to February marks our first six months as the Maine Trust for Local News. Our dedication to telling Maine’s stories — from the inspiring and uplifting to the investigative and sometimes infuriating — has only deepened.

While we continue to read about the challenges facing the newspaper industry, from Baltimore to Los Angeles, we feel even more grateful to be at the vanguard of a vital movement, championing the cause of sustaining local journalism through our nonprofit news model as a subsidiary of the National Trust for Local News. This isn’t just about keeping our operations running; it’s about ensuring our journalism remains a beacon of information, connection and empowerment for the communities we serve.

It’s been an intense six months for our operation. New ownership and a new business model gave us a fresh outlook on our future. We’ve adopted a growth mindset, which is so uplifting for someone with 30-plus years in the newspaper business. So if you’re a former advertiser, our sales team will be in touch to talk to you about our new digital products, event sponsorships and branded content. If you’re a former subscriber or digital drive-by reader, we’ll be in touch to talk to you about all the benefits of a subscription — including how one username and password gets you access to all the Maine Trust journalism throughout our network.

The National Trust saw an opportunity to invest in our commercial printing facility in South Portland, and we’ve caught up on needed upgrades to our press equipment. We’ve increased our printing capacity and welcomed customers, including the Peaks Islands News (Go Peaks Island!). Our dedicated teams in the press room and distribution center are happily managing all of this new work.

Whether you subscribe, advertise or print with us, your investment now goes back into fueling our journalism.

Another way we’re bucking the trend of our industry is We’re Hiring! We have more than a dozen open positions, from reporter to sales representative. You can find listings for our open positions at METLN.org/work-here. We are excited to expand our team with the goal of improving and expanding our journalism. It’s a fast-paced, mission-driven culture where no day is the same.

Once you join our team, we’re committed to investing in your professional development. Sun Journal sports reporter Haley Jones and Morning Sentinel reporter Dylan Tusinski are fresh back from a training program in Tennessee for early-career journalists, sponsored by Dow Jones Foundation. Both Haley and Dylan came back to Maine filled with ideas on how to improve their story-telling and eager for the next series of workshops.

We’re also investing in our ground game by going hyper-local in the communities we serve. We launched digital newsletters for the communities of Bethel and Skowhegan — from reporters Rose Lincoln at the Bethel Citizen and Jake Freudberg at the Morning Sentinel, respectively — that are being well received in each of these communities. Watch for us to expand local coverage throughout western and central Maine in the coming months.

As we look to the future, our commitment is unwavering. We’re not just safeguarding local journalism; we’re setting the stage for its evolution. The National Trust for Local News is actively extending this model beyond Maine, with initiatives in Colorado and Georgia, showcasing the viability of this approach for local news ecosystems across the country.

We know all eyes are on our success in Maine, and we love it. Thanks for forging this path with us.

Lisa DeSisto is the chief executive officer of the Maine Trust for Local News.

Copy the Story Link

Comments are not available on this story.