The only Maine daily other than those owned by you know who says it has decided to ignore any news events covered by competitors.
In a new job posting designed to fill its “senior political-reporter” position, the Bangor Daily News tells applicants: “If you see other reporters at an event, we want you to leave. Go report somewhere else.”
So apparently it’ll work like this: if, say, Angus King calls a news conference to announce he’s becoming a Republican, Bangor won’t cover it.
But apparently even if the Press Herald weren’t at the Angus press gaggle, Bangor’s editors still wouldn’t be much interested.
And why would that be:
The paper says the new reporter’s congressional focus will be Susan Collins. Period.
Not anyone else. Not Angus. Not Chellie. Not Jared.
“We’re looking to break stories … with an emphasis on U.S. Sen. Susan Collins.”
The paper’s editor will also consider stories “about the federal delegation and the biggest races,” but first it wants Susan stuff.
And maybe only Susan stuff.
The new position being filled “is part of a team dedicated to producing direct, honest, comprehensive and compelling reporting about Maine politics and policy,” according to the advertisement on journalismjobs.com.
“With wide-open races for governor, U.S. Senate and the House, 2026 has the potential to be a huge year for this beat.
“BDN has built a national reputation as the most respected and widely read source for Maine political news,” the ad says. “So if you’re looking to get noticed and be at the center of huge political stories, this job is for you.”
But remember – if you see Rachel Ohm from the Press Herald, just to pick a name, get out of there.
“We want an enterprising reporter who will cultivate and work sources and get into the field to talk to real people. We don’t want you to rewrite press releases, backwrite embargoes or attend news conferences or committee hearings.
“If you see other reporters at an event, we want you to leave and go report somewhere else. Finding new information for our audience is the only mission.”
The newspaper is calling itself “Maine’s most read digital news outlet.”
But judging from what is otherwise obvious – it mentions the word governor once in the job ad but never makes any other reference to the politics that go on under the gold dome in Augusta (the state’s capital) – stateside politics and attendant scandals are not mentioned in the focused breadth of the responsibilities for the new, incoming “senior political reporter.”
“We believe that there’s a bright future for newsrooms that invest in good journalism and put their audiences first. This role is a key part of that strategy.”
The new strategy is apparently pretend Rome isn’t burning – especially if the equally-incompetent paper from Portland is on the scene.
