The upstart Maine Wire now has literally twice as many followers as the state’s longest-established big daily.
Well, formerly big daily.
The Maine Wire is now showing 188,000 Facebook followers compared to 94,000 for the Portland Press Herald.
The Maine daily has 152 years on The Maine Wire but who’s counting.
Lots to be said for being young and hungry.
If anyone needs a prime example as to why the scrappy Maine Wire is far eclipsing the sorry Press Herald they need only cast their eyes at the latest example of what Maine’s oldest daily actually considers news.
To wit a puff piece Friday by the paper’s so-called political columnist about a new $15 million arts center in Lewiston.
The paper of record drafted its political columnist – its political columnist mind you – not to illuminate the continuing workings of the political criminal cabal running that scandal-infested municipal government but to write an arts feature.
Exhibit A as to why The Maine Wire’s numbers are literally double the Portland Press Herald’s – because readers want and need news not sugar.
One would imagine the suits running the National Trust for Local News would finally ask Carolyn Fox, the Press Herald executive editor, “what the heck are you thinking?”
Thinking is not a native asset at the Portland Press Herald.
Facebook followers:
√ The Maine Wire 188,000
√ Portland Press Herald 94,000
Bravo, you guys are the best.
Way to go Steve and Maine Wire!
I’ll bet PPH has way more employees too.
Keep it up!
1
FB is boomer social media. The younger generation is on Instagram, Snapchat, and Tik Tok. Sounds like Maine Wire’s FB followers are old and dying. Furthermore, FB followers are not the same as reader circulation.
2.
Maine Wire scoffs at a $15 million dollar investment in Lewiston. Apparently, something to scoff at coming from a free online rag. Interesting.
Butt-hurt PPH employees have entered the chat….
Whaaa, Whaaaaaaa!
Hell, if the PPH was free it would still suck.
How does Maine Wire make any money??
If you want to read PPH you have to pay for it. Maybe 5 free articles. (?)
Maine Wire is free!
Who pays MW employees!?
America is a capitalist society. You have to pay if you want to play.
PPH has more employees because they have more money as a result of larger paying reader circulation. PPH employees probably have vision and matching 401K too!
MW, do you offer your employees a comparable benefits package as PPH!?
I’m guessing no cause you kept full time to under ten. Cheap arses.
maine has the oldest population of all states. Know your market.
Well deserved! PPH, Times Record, and BDN have been hemorrhaging readers for years…they’ll never admit why…
June 18, 2026
“ISRAEL ASKED FACEBOOK TO CENSOR IRAN WAR CONTENT, INTERNAL DOCUMENTS SHOW
Company records reviewed by The Intercept show Israel urged Facebook and Instagram to take down posts supportive of Iran.”
The Intercept