Western Maine Report is a project designed to fill the news coverage gap here. That gap emerged as the dominant newspaper group experienced financial difficulties and began decreasing its reporting staff, and its coverage. This has been aggravated by an editorial policy that regards breaking news as unimportant . News of police, fire and EMS activity now appear only infrequently. Coverage of economic news, like real estate market, is missing.

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Now, with Western Maine Report, residents can learn about the important events that the current media overlook – events that can affect their lives and about which it is, in fact, important to be curious.

 

Western Maine Report was founded by Phil Blampied, a local resident with over 50 years experience in media, reporting and editing as well as business, including having worked for Time magazine, CBS news, and The Boston Globe. Most recently, he produced a local monthly television show for this area, Today River Valley, on Portland's WPXT and WPME-TV. For over two years, he repeatedly urged the Sun Journal to expand its breaking news coverage, including offering to do it himself. They declined. So he has launched Western Maine Report.

 

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Blampied is joined by Corey Mawhinney, who is putting his extensive computer experience to work, monitoring both scanner traffic and real estate transactions, and Rich Bergeron, a writer and podcaster with reporting experience with New Hampshire newspapers.

 

Why is it important to cover breaking news? The free flow of information is a critical part of keeping society working well and staying free.

 

As our motto puts it: “because the people deserve to know.”

 

Western Maine Report is seeking non-profit status. In the long term, the goal is for it to become a community non-profit managed by a representative group of local residents.

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Contact us at: contact@westernmaine report.com

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By mail: Western Maine Report, PO Box 102, West Paris, ME.  04289

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Phone (leave a message please): 207-619-3764