Maine’s largest newspaper’s experiment in covering its outlier towns from Portland was apparently doomed from the start.
Duh.
The Portland Press Herald, which had recently decided to cover the central part of the state from 100 miles away, has decided that dog won’t hunt.
So rather than doing the job with a staffer from Portland, the paper is now advertising for a freelancer out of the Skowhegan area.
The MTLN suits had tried to fill the Skowhegan slot with Portland staffer Alex Lear after the incumbent was reassigned to a different beat.
“Lear apparently found it difficult to get the pulse of the community from 100 miles away,” quipped one reader, who follows the comings and goings of Skowhegan – and of the Press Herald. “What a mess.”
“We’re searching for a Skowhegan-area freelancer to take over this newsletter!” Lear posted. “We’d like to find someone local with writing experience and an interest in newsletter curation.”
