Tag: Biddeford-Saco Courier

Pour Some Sugar on Me

~ Randy Seaver ~ 6 Comments

There’s no denying it. This is not your father’s news industry anymore. That’s good news, but it’s also very bad news.

I’m writing this because there were three significant local changes in the news industry that happened in just the last two weeks.

More about that in just a moment.

Traditional, legacy media outlets are no longer the sole guardians of truth and justice, and that fact — like it or not – will impact you — and it might even hurt you.

For centuries, newspapers, (and then later) radio and television news operations kept an immeasurable amount of gravitas in their pants’ pocket, like so many nickels and dimes. The publishers, editors (and oftentimes the reporters) took your trust in them for granted.

Nearly 300 years ago, Edmund Burke, a member of British Parliament, reportedly coined the term “Fourth Estate” to describe the press, pointing out its obligations as a check in government oversight and its responsibility to frame political issues as well as to be an advocate for the general public.

Pretty big responsibility, eh?

The industry that was once the trusted and almost sole gatekeeper of vital public news and information is now scrambling, desperately trying to find a way to remain relevant or at least financially solvent.

So, what are the threats and challenges facing both you as a news consumer and traditional media outlets?

First and foremost, social media platforms are taking over the distribution of news and information. There are no more paperboys and even newsrooms are shifting away from brick-and-mortar structures.

In survey after survey; in poll after poll, one fact becomes abundantly clear. Consumers want their news on their schedule (on demand). Readers also try to skirt paywalls, no longer seeing the value of paid news subscriptions.

Readers today gravitate toward click-bait headlines and “news” websites that match their own political ideology.

Photo: The Death of the Newspaper Industry | John W. Hayes)

Never-ending competition, a 24-7 news cycle and the disturbing rise of AI (artificial intelligence) all remain as threats to established and not-so-established news outlets.

And to top it off, reader trust in traditional news outlets is plummeting faster than shares of K-Mart stock.

In his Nov. 29, 2022 opinion column, Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby pointed to a recent Gallup report, which revealed that just one out of three Americans claimed to have a “great deal” or a “fair amount” of confidence in the media.

We could talk all day about the national news scene and the spiraling demise of legacy media, but let’s take a deeper look at the news on a local level, right here where it hurts the most.

Today, almost everyone is a journalist – or so they believe. All you need is a keyboard and an internet connection and it’s off to the races.

While I love certain aspects of “citizen journalism” it does sort of invite a Wild, Wild West approach in reporting news.

While I love certain aspects of “citizen journalism” it does sort of invite a Wild, Wild West approach
in reporting news.

These citizens journalists typically do not have editors or the resources of an editorial board. They have no professional training. Ethics and objectivity are now electives, no longer requirements.

In other ways, however, these pesky citizen journalists and their social media followers do keep some much needed pressure on those Fourth Estate guys, the traditional legacy media outlets.

We’re not in Kansas anymore

Speaking of legacy, traditional media, the Bangor Daily News (BDN) – Maine’s preeminent source of political news – decided last week to shut down its editorial board. The paper will no longer have an Op-Ed (Opinion-Editorial) section.

I found that news strange. It struck me as counter-intuitive, especially since so many people are saying that readers are flocking toward opinion and away from objective news reporting.

In a Jan. 24 column, the BDN described the move as “the end of an era.”

Susan Young, the paper’s opinion editor, said the news was “bittersweet.”

“Far too few people read opinion content, so we have to try different things,” Young told me during an online conversation, saying the decision was influenced by the paper’s digital analytics.

The BDN’s decision will also mean the end of rigorous and highly regarded opinion columns from people like Amy Fried on the political left to Matt Gagnon on the political right.

Still closer to home, the publishers of the Biddeford-Saco Courier announced on Wednesday that they will now offer their subscribers a digital weekly update via email.

That “announcement” dropped exactly two weeks after I formally launched the Biddeford Gazette, a free digital newspaper dedicated to covering Biddeford news, opinion and events.

For more than 30 years, the Courier has relied upon free delivery of its print publication at newsstands or tossed into the driveways of private homes.

The Courier was founded and locally owned by David and Carolyn Flood. A few years ago, the paper was then sold to the owners of the Portland Press Herald who also own a number of weekly and daily publications.

Courier reporter Sydney Richelieu announced the “inaugural edition” of “Biddeford-Saco | Now” in an email sent to subscribers. The move, she said, is designed to offer readers another option in finding out what is happening in their community.

I have some unsolicited advice for Sydney and the Courier’s editors, please stop printing press releases and then labeling them with a byline of “Staff Reports.”

Otherwise, I am quite pleased that you guys finally want to step up your game in covering local news.

To be honest, I have a bit of an advantage over the other guys. I’m a Biddeford native and resident, and I have been covering Biddeford for nearly three decades. I have a stockpile of sources and lots of time on my hands.

Just a few days ago, a close friend of mine remarked that other local publications are now starting to pay more attention (deservedly so) to the city of Biddeford, since I launched the Gazette.

That’s actually really good news, especially for the people of Biddeford.

The other guys may not like the fact that I am now in the mix, but they should remember the folks at the Journal Tribune were none too happy when the Courier was launched in 1989; and the folks at the Courier were none too happy that Saco Bay News came along in 2019 and showed off the nimble advantages of being a digital publication.

Increased competition does not help the Courier, Saco Bay News or the Biddeford Gazette, but it does keep a fire lit under our asses; and that is good news for readers.

The people of Biddeford should not have to rely upon just one reporter for the news that matters to them.

Competition keeps reporters motivated, but more importantly – it keeps them in check.

The Biddeford Gazette is not trying to put anyone else out of business. In fact, the opposite is true.

The Biddeford Gazette uses its own social media pages on Facebook, BlueSky and X to round up and share local news stories from other media companies. No one else does that.

You read that right. We take the time to share news from the other guys on our social media pages. And when you click to read those stories, you are not directed to our website, instead all the postings will link automatically to whatever source produced the news, whether it’s Saco Bay News, the Courier or WGME-TV.

Please visit our new Facebook page and follow us to experience a new level of local news coverage.

Whenever or wherever news about Biddeford is published, we will be there to make sure you know about it.

That’s my mission. That’s my passion.

I value your trust.

I will not stop.

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Who do you love?

~ Randy Seaver ~ Leave a comment

cover-classic1.jpgI was saddened this morning to read that the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram will end their longstanding tradition of offering endorsements of political candidates and races.

Although this decision will likely be a popular one among the newspaper’s readers, I think it is a terrible mistake.

In today’s media world, newspapers are struggling to keep up with increasing competition (broadcast journalism, blogs and social media). Newsrooms across the country are also facing other challenges: budgetary constraints that are decimating newsrooms and declining advertising revenues.

For those reasons, and some others, newspapers are losing their gravitas and their once dominant position as the chief source of news and information.

In today’s editorial, the newspaper makes its case for discontinuing endorsements.

“Editorial endorsements are a tradition from the 19th century, when American newspapers were affiliated with political parties. Those newspapers existed to affect the outcome of elections, not just to report on them. The news business changed, but although most newspapers have hung on to the tradition, we could not convince ourselves that hanging on made sense for us.”

The editorial goes to great lengths to disclose its ownership interest by S. Donald Sussman, a frequent contributor to Democratic candidates and the husband of U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree as a another reason why it should refrain from making endorsements.

That is, perhaps, the newspaper’s best argument, but the rest of their argument is weak, and not what one would expect from the state’s largest daily newspaper.

“Some people say that a news organization, because of its access to candidates, is in a better position than the average voter to make a choice, but no voter has a shortage of information these days.”

Based on my own experience working for both newspapers and candidates, this argument is tepid, at best.

For the better part of two decades, I worked as both a reporter and an editor at much smaller, community-based newspapers.

During my days as editor of the Biddeford-Saco-Old Orchard Beach Courier (1999-2006), I ran endorsements of local candidates. Today, as it was then, fewer than 2 of 10 people could tell you who was the councilor from Ward 4 in Biddeford or which city council candidates voted against the proposed school budget.

Today, I no longer cover local politics. I work on public policy issues across the state of Maine and beyond.

I spend very little time in my hometown. It’s now basically where I eat and sleep. If I want to know what’s going on, I read my local newspapers. I view the newspapers as more credible and more informed than a local blogger or what Susie Q. Public posts on her Facebook page.

It’s the same for most people I know. We lead busy lives: our kids need back-to-school clothes, there are bills to pay, lawns to mow, laundry to fold, not to mention the demands of our careers.  I no longer have the luxury of hanging out at City Hall as a paid witness.

But when I was an editor, I could speak with authority about local issues and the players driving them. I had a unique perspective. It was my profession.

Shortly, after I left the newspaper business, that publication also stopped offering endorsements of local candidates. I heard from a lot of people who bemoaned the lack of those endorsements and a vibrant editorial page. The purpose of the editorial page is to be subjective (a departure from the rest of the paper that should be objective and neutral) It’s the whole point of an editorial page: for the newspaper to take an informed position on important issues affecting its readers.

How an endorsement changed my life

Finally, the best reason for making endorsements:

It was almost 13 years ago today that I sat down to write a set of endorsements. There were three candidates seeking two seats on the Old Orchard Beach School Board. This was a minor race that the Press Herald would not weigh in upon. Of those three candidates, one was a respected incumbent and two were political newcomers.

But I made a mistake, I thought there was only one seat available. So, I endorsed the incumbent.

The next day, I got a rather nasty e-mail from one of the candidates who told me I should do a better job with my research.

We traded barbs for several days, an e-mail exchange that eventually turned friendly. I met her on election night, but did not dare speak to her.

There were some more e-mails and then a first date.

And then a second and third date.

We have been happily married now for the better part of 12 years.

If I didn’t make any endorsements, I would have never met the love of my life.

And if that isn’t a good reason for making endorsements, then what is?

If I could go back and do it all over again, I would not change a thing.

 

David, we hardly knew ye

~ Randy Seaver ~ 1 Comment

David Flood

More breaking news… Biddeford’s own media mogul, David Flood, intends to resign his Ward 7 seat on the Biddeford City Council.

In 2007, Flood sold the Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier and several other weekly newspapers that he and his wife published as part of the Mainely Newspapers Group to the parent company of the Journal Tribune.

Today it looks like he can’t wait to get  back into the newsapaper game.

According to a story in the American Journal, Flood will take over as publisher of the Sun Chronicle and other York County publications owned by Current Publishing, a former competitor of Mainely Newspapers, Inc.

Only weeks after selling his newspaper in 2007, Flood jumped into Biddeford politics, winning an at-large seat on the city council, before making a failed attempt to oust Mayor Joanne Twomey in 2009.

Flood returned to the council in November, but now will be resigning after serving fewer than 90 days in office.

We have also learned that the Biddeford Courier will soon be looking for a new home.

Flood owns the 180 Main Street building where the Courier is now published. Apparently, he plans to use the same building to house his newest endeavor with Current Publishing.

Flood is reportedly planning to publicly announce his resignation from the council on Tuesday, during the council’s next regular meeting.

It remains unclear whether there will need to be a special election to fill Flood’s vacancy or whether Mayor Alan Casavant will be able to appoint a replacement.

Since there is far more than a year remaining in Flood’s term, it is likely that the council will call for a special election.

Street fighting man

~ Randy Seaver ~ 2 Comments

Some guys will do just about anything for attention. Such is the case with Biddeford City Councilor David Flood, the representative from Ward Seven who has returned to the council after a two-year sabbatical studying gymnastics.

City Councilor David Flood will go to any lengths to get people’s attention; best evidenced by his recent pledge to stand on his head until his fellow councilors agree to some sort of new solid waste collection program. (Photo by Dana Johnson)

Those who follow local politics closely may remember that Flood made a run against Joanne Twomey for the mayor’s seat two years ago.

Flood’s mayoral race did not go so well, so he went back to the drawing board and began drafting the core elements of his “Plan B” to rule Biddeford: A stealth plan to quietly buy every single building on Main Street not already owned by Doug Sanford.

I probably know Flood better than I know most of the other councilors, and I don’t know him that well.

David and his wife, Carolyn, owned and operated Mainely Newspapers, Inc., the former parent company of the Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier and several other weekly newspapers.

In all likelihood, you would not be reading this if not for David Flood, who made the tragic mistake of hiring me in 1998 and then naming me as the Courier’s editor in 1999.

So if you hate me or the stuff I write, go ahead and kick David. It’s not my fault.

If not for David Flood, I would not have the job I have today. I would not be married to Laura, and I would not live in the house where I am writing this. All of those things came about through the connections I made while working at the Courier.

David is not just my city councilor, he’s also my neighbor. You’ve probably seen postcards of his May Street home, which is often mistaken for the U.S. Embassy building in the Dominican Republic.

During my seven-year tenure at the Courier, Flood missed several key opportunities to fire me. Let’s put it this way, I often pushed the envelope of employee-employer relationship protocols as far as they could be pushed.

I think there are only two reasons that David didn’t fire me as frequently requested by folks such as then State Rep. Joanne Twomey, former Mayor Jim Grattelo and a slew of others who all shared a common hatred of yours truly:

1.) I worked almost as hard as David Flood, the hardest-working man I have ever met; and

2.) We both loved the Courier and its mission to be the best local newspaper possible.

David has been involved in re-energizing downtown Biddeford for a long time, way before it was fashionable, hip or cool to promote the city’s downtown.

But here’s some trivia you may not know about David Flood:

  • He was a standout wrestler in high school and once challenged me to a wrestling match, boasting that he could pin me in less than a minute. (True story, and I declined the challenge because he had a weird look in his eyes when he said it.
  • He really likes turtles (also true)
  • He actually thought Joe Biden would be a good president (Delaware boys stick together)
  • He loves baseball almost as much as he loves newspapers.

David is also on Facebook. So let’s see what we can find there, eh?

He has 229 Facebook friends, roughly .01% as many “friends” as Mayor Alan Casavant .(Who says social media doesn’t work?)

One of his favorite TV shows? Family Guy

His only interest/pastime? Guinness…okay, he’s Irish.

Of the other eight city councilors, only Brad “Cub Scout” Cote is listed as a “friend” on Flood’s Facebook page (as of today)

So, here’s the tricky part: What should his Delta Chi name be?

After much thought and consideration, not to mention input from the All Along the Watchtower staff…..

David, your Delta Chi name is “Armadillo”