The top editor of Maine’s largest paper Sunday blasted “fake news,” as she launched a fund drive to help her “figure things out.”
In a Maine Sunday Telegram column, Carolyn Fox complained that “bad actors seem to be popping up every week, many stealing our photos and reporting as their own.”
Stealing her photos?
Where did that come from?
Desperation, that’s where.
Fox has seen the Facebook numbers and here is what they show:
Maine Wire followers: 214,000
Portland Press Herald followers: 94,000
The Press Herald has been stuck at 94,000 for months, while The Maine Wire has been growing by the day.
It’s no wonder Fox – naming no names – is attacking “fake news” and “AI” for running roughshod over her failing newspaper.
Fox calls her vengeful money grab the “inaugural summer donation campaign.”
She said the paper’s staffers – who far outnumber her nemesis – “take punches they don’t deserve” and “carry on, not for the pay or the perks, but because they believe what they do matters.”
“People used to prioritize paying for newspapers,” Fox writes. “Trusted news sources have gone away. Many people have turned to social media, or their favorite podcaster, to tell them what’s going on in the world, often stumbling upon misinformation.
“Fake news sites powered by AI and funded by bad actors seem to be popping up every week, many stealing our photos and reporting as their own.”
Who is she accusing of stealing her content?
And notice her accusation refers to photos, not stories.
There’s a reason for that – the Portland Press Herald has no stories worth stealing.
√ Maine Wire: 214,000
√ Portland Press Herald: 94,000
“Our newsroom has big plans for the fall, and the more support we get, the bigger and more accessible we can make our work for all Mainers.” – Carolyn Fox
The big plans include a “free” voter guide and covering elections, in that order.
Honest.
But heck, don’t take it from us since we’re apparently “fake news.”
You can read the insanity by clicking Carolyn here.
Maine Wire is Numero Uno