My all-time favorite journalists (The Top 12)

February 11, 2026February 12, 2026 ~ Randy Seaver ~ Leave a comment

I am a journalist, and I love making lists.

So, it should come as no surprise that I woke up at 3:30 a.m. yesterday with the idea that I should make a Top 12 list of my favorite journalists – people who have inspired me, people I have worked with and even people I have worked for.

It was originally going to be a Top 10 list, but I could think of no-one on this list who should be eliminated as a finalist.

______________________

12.) Marian McCue, The Forecaster

Marian McCue was inducted into the Maine Press Association (MPA) Hall of Fame in 2019

According to a story published in the Portland Press Herald, McCue purchased the former Falmouth Forecaster in 1990 at a time when it was published every two weeks and mailed to residents.

The MPA reportedly described McCue’s tenacious commitment to journalism as “great foresight and a singular journalistic duty, into what would become arguably ‘the’ community newspaper of record for the greater Portland area.”

I have long admired Marian’s work ethic and her commitment to the very best principles of true community journalism.

____________________

11.) Liz Gotthelf, Saco Bay News

When it comes to community journalism, few do it better than my friend Liz Gotthelf, who launched Saco Bay News – a digital media outlet – in 2020, shortly after the daily Journal Tribune forever closed its doors.

A former Tribune reporter, Liz is dedicated to the community where she lives and works. She built Saco Bay News on nothing more than an idea and a desire to keep covering the communities of Biddeford, Saco and Old Orchard Beach.

Liz is a scrappy journalist with a HUGE heart. Her care and commitment to journalism shines through in everything she writes. Liz was knocked to the ground in August 2024 when her husband died suddenly and unexpectedly. She took just a few days off, and then – despite near overwhelming grief – jumped back in the saddle, covering community news and events. How do you spell integrity?

I am lucky to call Liz a friend, and I was proud to work with her for a little more than two years as one of her contributing writers.

___________________

10.) Chris Busby, The Bollard

The Portland-based weekly The Bollard is one of my favorite newspapers. Busby is one of those people who has likely forgotten more about journalism than I will ever learn.

More than 20 years ago, Busby began building the Bollard with his own blood, sweat and tears. The paper reeks with journalistic integrity and offers a no-holds-barred approach to covering local and state government. The Bollard is also where I get my regular fix of Al Diamon’s Politics and Other Mistakes column and Liz Peavey’s weekly column.

The really good news? The Bollard is available online and its print version is available for free throughout southern Maine. I pickup the Bollard at the Hannaford grocery store in Biddeford.

______________________

9.) Barbara Walters, ABC News

Barbara was a true journalism pioneer. She broke the proverbial glass ceiling that held back so many women in the news business, especially in the realm of televised newscasts.

Her legendary career, which started in 1951 at an NBC affiliate station in New York, earned her numerous accolades and awards, often described as one of the most trusted, and dogged reporters of the 20^th Century.

Of course, Walters is best known today for her time as a producer and reporter of NBC’s Today Show and then later becoming the first female co-anchor of a network evening news show with Harry Reasoner on the ABC Evening News.

______________________

8.) David Flood, Mainely Newspapers

David and Carolyn Flood launched the weekly Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier in 1989. They immersed themselves in the community and quickly became a fierce and reputable source of competition to their much larger, daily counterparts, the Journal Tribune and the Portland Press Herald.

Their hard work and commitment to community news paid off. The company expanded into a group of weekly newspapers that included the Scarborough Leader, South Portland Sentry and the Kennebunk Post among others.

David’s business model of not charging for subscriptions proved effective. But David cared more about Biddeford than just becoming the paper of record. He was the principal founder of the Heart of Biddeford.

He was always bullish about the city, especially its downtown area. After selling his publications, he was elected to the Biddeford City Council. Two years ago, he was inducted in the Biddeford Cultural and Heritage Center’s Hall of Fame. He also served briefly as president of the Biddeford-Saco Chamber of Commerce.

David hired me as a reporter in 1998. He then later promoted me to become the Courier’s editor and then later I became managing editor of all his publications.

I drove David nuts. I gave him plenty of reasons to fire me, but he didn’t. In fact, he gave me a rather long leash, and I think he valued my intense work ethic and my fierce sense of newspaper competition.

I often joke that the Biddeford Gazette is my baby. If that’s true then David and Carolyn Flood are the Gazette’s grandparents.

__________________

7. Jeff Jacoby, Boston Globe

I don’t know a lot about Jeff or his background, but I do love his weekly column, Arguable

It is well-written, often long-winded (a man after my own heart) but always informative, balanced and not afraid of controversy. As an opinion columnist, Jacoby admittedly leans a bit to the political right, which must make him wildly popular with the men and women who work in the Globe’s newsroom.

Don’t get me wrong. Jacoby may lean just a bit to the right, but his analysis is often scorching and always thought-provoking, but always fair and balanced.

I love Jacoby’s column, and that’s reason enough for him to be on this list.

___________________

6.) Jack Beaudoin, Journal Tribune

If you ask people who have lived in Biddeford a long time about who they think was the city’s best reporter, Beaudoin’s name invariably rises to the top.

Jack, a Biddeford native, earned his reputation as an outstanding reporter. He was usually the smartest guy in the room but never acted like it. In fact, he is one of the most self-effacing people I have ever met.

Jack is also the former publisher of the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting. Today, he lives in Stonington and describes himself as an “ink-stained wretch.”

You can find his work today at jackbeaudoin.com

_____________________

5.) Kelley Bouchard, Portland Press Herald

I think it was 2001 when Kelley and I first met. She had been assigned to cover Biddeford back when the Press Herald had a bureau office on Main Street in Biddeford.

I am lucky to know Kelley as a friend, despite the fact that we were fierce competitors back in the day, when MERC was still burning garbage downtown and dinosaurs could be seen stumbling down Lincoln Street.

Kelley was tough as nails. She never accepted the proverbial talking point memos. She asked hard questions, but she was fair and thorough. Today, she still holds my feet to the fire, often questioning the motives of some of my political posts on social media. I really miss working alongside Kelley. Those days are some of my favorite memories.

______________________

4.) Harry Foote, American Journal

If you’re a journalist over the age of 40 in Maine, it is more than likely that you once worked for Harry Foote, the late founder and publisher of the weekly American Journal, then based in Westbrook.

Harry — always grinning but unrelenting in his push for perfection and “real news,” — probably taught more journalists than the Columbia School of Journalism.

I learned so much from Harry. He was a legend and a force to be reckoned with, just ask former mayors and city councilors from Westbrook.

Harry died in 2012 at the age of 96. In 1990, he received the Maine Press Association’s Journalist of the Year award. In 1999, he was inducted into the Maine Press Association’s Hall of Fame.

I really miss Harry, the chaos of his newsroom, his collection of pencils and the apron he would wear around his waist. I’m one of the lucky ones. I got to work for Harry Foote.

____________________

3.) Mike Wallace, CBS News/ 60 Minutes

It is a well-known fact that journalists in the United States are required by law to pay silent homage and tribute to Mike Wallace before writing or producing every news story.

Wallace is considered a deity by so many of his peers in the world of journalism. He was one of the original four members of the magazine-style television news program, 60 Minutes. He was the definition of investigative journalism. He was loathed by President Richard Nixon.

Why is he on this list? Because he is Mike Wallace, and I am legally required to describe him as one of the greatest journalists of all time.

_____________________

2.) Carl Bernstein, Washington Post

Although never as well-known or revered as his Watergate counterpart — Bob Woodward – Carl is a man after my own heart.

He never graduated from college, but he was a brilliant and remarkable reporter. It is rumored that he lied in order to get hired by the Washington Post when he was still in high school. His peers often described him as a manic and tenacious workaholic.

Many people believe that without Bernstein’s rabid and aggressive style of reporting, the Watergate scandal may have never been brought to light. I was 10 years old when Nixon became the first president to resign from office in August 1974. I was glued to the television coverage. It was then that I knew I wanted to be the next Bob Woodward or Carl Bernstein.

If you enjoy good books, check out Bernstein’s memoir, Chasing History: A Kid In The Newsroom.

Drum roll please . . .

And now —- my all-time favorite journalist:

Hunter S. Thompson, Rolling Stone

Quite simply, the late Hunter S. Thompson is my hero, my idol and all sorts of other things. He is the founder and creator of Gonzo-style journalism.

He broke all the rules of traditional journalism. A heavy drinker and smoker, he also experimented with drugs, including hallucinogens. He was a prominent leader of the counter-cultural movement that swept across America during the late 1960s and the early 1970s.

His landmark book — Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas — was well received and required reading for rebellious teenagers who wanted nothing more than to piss off their parents.

Hunter’s career started back in the days when people like Jack Kerouac and Alan Ginsberg were gaining traction in literary circles, creating what became the Beat Generation and a legion of self-described “beatniks” who desperately wanted to follow in their footsteps.

Thompson was simultaneously brilliant and self-destructive. He didn’t take criticism well, unless it was from someone he respected and also loathed like Truman Capote.

I really believe that I was born 30 years too late, I like to think that maybe Hunter and I would be friends. We both served in the U.S. Air Force.

Perhaps no writer influenced me more than Thompson. I tried to use a Gonzo-style approach when writing my weekly All Along the Watchtower column for the Courier.

If you want another great book recommendation, check out Outlaw Journalist: The Life and Times of Hunter S. Thompson by William McKeen.

And that’s a wrap.

_________________________

My sincere apologies to everyone on this list. I really do respect your work, and I do – unlike Chris Busby – care about how other journalists perceive my work.

I had a lot of fun writing this. I hope you enjoyed reading it.

___________________________

Randy Seaver is a hack journalist living in Biddeford. He is the editor and founder of the Biddeford Gazette, a non-profit digital news publication that focuses on the city of Biddeford.

Randy has been annoying other journalists and editors since 1981 when he did a brief stint as an unpaid student intern at the former Journal Tribune, a daily newspaper based in Biddeford.

He regularly writes about politics, journalism and his own struggles with mental illness at Lessons in Mediocrity | Outlaw Journalist

Subscribe today and never miss an update! It’s free and worth it!

Fear and Loathing in Biddeford

June 13, 2025 ~ Randy Seaver ~ 2 Comments

It’s been a crazy, hectic and somewhat emotional week.

On the work front, I was dealing with back-to-back significant news stories that took up a lot of my energy and time.

And — Laura chipped a tooth while eating a salad (Exhibit 104 of why you should avoid salads). The ensuing emergency dental visit put a nice little ding on the bank account.

We struggled with getting the camper ready for the season, and could not figure out why the battery was not charging. It’s fixed now. Also, the work week was evenly framed by two Saturdays of rain. Nice. I am already way behind on my outdoor chores.

And then there is always the plentiful criticism, the wailing and gnashing of teeth from people who are upset about me being one of the admins on the Biddeford + Saco Community Facebook page. What else is new?

But there was one thing that hit me much harder than expected this week. It was supposed to be a rather benign feature story about the closing of the JFK Memorial School in Biddeford.

My friend Liz Gothelf, publisher of Saco Bay News, was also there to cover the story, but I doubt that she experienced any of the emotional baggage that I felt walking back into that building for – presumably – the last time.

I would not be who I am today
if I didn’t shit my pants in the first-grade.

You see, I was a first and second-grade student at JFK, just before my parents bought their home in Saco.

Liz and I left the press event at the same time. On our way out, we spotted a large canvass hanging in the hallway. Apparently, it was used to take pictures of the students. The banner read: “Be Awesome Today! We Are So Proud of You.”

We simply could not just walk past that photo opportunity. We took pictures of each other under the banner before exchanging goodbyes in the parking lot.

I quickly walked back to my truck, trying to hold back the tears welling up inside of me. I didn’t want anyone to see me crying.

All I could think about in that moment was a little six-year-old boy so afraid of his surroundings and the teacher that he literally shit his pants instead of asking the teacher to use the bathroom.

It might be okay if that was an isolated incident. Accidents happen, more literally: shit happens. But this was just a symptom and sort of encapsulated how I continued living my life.

For as long as I can remember, I have always been afraid. Always.

I was afraid of the other kids. I was shy, terrified of gym classes with Mr. Stanley at Young School in Saco. I was terrified of storms, I believed my parents were intentionally trying to poison me.

This carried on into high school. I was a shy basket case. I went through the motions, almost completely disconnected from my classmates. In fact, you cannot find a photo of me in our senior yearbook.

It’s as if I was invisible, and that’s how I liked it.

The fear thing continued into my very brief stint in the Air Force and followed me to college and later as I rather aimlessly shifted about the country. In and out of psychiatric facilities in Arizona, Tennessee and Oregon.

Things didn’t really change until the late 1990s when I was hired by the Biddeford-Saco Courier. All of a sudden, I had both a purpose and a personality. A couple of years later, I met Laura.

Today, I am not afraid of public restrooms. I’m not afraid of the teachers or even the principal.

Almost 55 years later, I was telling the teachers and staffers where to stand and how to pose for the photo. People listen to me — and for reasons I do not understand – they seem to respect me.

I wish I could go back in time and tell that terrified, little boy that he doesn’t have to be afraid; that very good things are coming his way. I wish I could tell him, ““Be Awesome Today! We Are So Proud of You.”

But you know what?

I would not be who I am today if I didn’t shit my pants in the first-grade.

Randy Seaver is a cranky, nearly insufferable malcontent living in Biddeford. He may be contacted by email: randy@randyseaver.com

Never miss another installment of Lessons in Mediocrity! Subscribe for free today!

A Fork in the Road: Sympathy for the Devil

December 2, 2024January 26, 2026 ~ Randy Seaver ~ 2 Comments

As Chaucer once said, all good things must come to an end.

And that’s where I find myself today: another fork in the road, another pivot point in my career.

Over the past few days, several people have asked me why I started the Biddeford Gazette, and why I am no longer writing for Saco Bay News.

Some have speculated that I had a “falling out” with Liz Gotthelf, the publisher of Saco Bay News. Nothing could be further from the truth – at least from my perspective.

In fact, I consider Liz to be a good friend, and I very much respect and admire what she has built from the ashes of the Journal Tribune, once this area’s daily newspaper.

With grit, determination and maybe a prayer, Liz launched Saco Bay News only weeks after the Tribune closed its doors forever in 2019. Since then, she has almost single-handedly built her business into an active and respected local news source.

A couple of years ago, Liz approached me and asked if I would be interested in being a contributing writer for her publication. Although I had given up professional journalism many years prior, I thought that the idea would be a good side hustle.

I was already writing a blog about Biddeford politics, and I missed the dynamic ebb and flow of the news business. I would only need to avoid writing about my PR clients.

Liz could not afford to pay me very much, but that was okay. One of the benefits was that she would publish my All Along The Watchtower satire column once a month.

Over the next two years, I wrote more than 140 stories for Saco Bay News, including breaking crime stories, political coverage, feature stories and 12 of my opinion columns.

I gave Liz her money’s worth in coverage, often breaking news stories well ahead of the Portland Press Herald, the Biddeford-Saco Courier and Portland’s television stations.

Liz gave me a lot of latitude, and I like to think that I helped her solidify the reputation of Saco Bay News as a serious and respected news outlet that left no stone unturned.

I was especially proud of an in-depth, three-part series I wrote about the region’s growing problem regarding our unhoused population.

I also received many accolades from colleagues across the state for another three-part series I wrote earlier this year regarding the University of New England’s controversial proposal to build a new, massive pier on the Saco River.

I am an old-fashioned reporter. I ask hard questions and do not shy from controversy, but not everyone likes a reporter with lots of questions, especially those who had become comfortable in an environment of comfortable journalism.

This is where it ends

Things seemed to be going well. Summer was quickly approaching and news stories were popping all over the place.

Writer George Orwell reportedly once said that “journalism is printing something that someone does not want printed. Everything else is public relations.”

That distinction was apparently lost on those who control the campuses of the University of New England and Thornton Academy, a public-private high school in Saco.

The PR folks at both institutions were less than impressed with my reporting of their activities. They didn’t complain to me. They went straight to Liz and suggested that it would be best if I don’t publish any more stories about them.

They didn’t offer any corrections or additional perspective. They just didn’t like the idea of me shaking the bushes. Liz — who had only days before lost her husband to a sudden illness — quickly agreed to their requests. I was not part of the meeting. I was not asked for input or clarification.

I was pissed with the intimidation tactics deployed by both UNE and Thornton Academy, but I also understood that Liz is running a media outlet on a shoe-string budget. She is alone at the helm of the ship. She decided it wasn’t a battle worth fighting.

Fine. Let’s just move on. There’s plenty of other stuff to cover. At the same time, more and more people were reaching out to me, telling me stories of dysfunction at Biddeford City Hall.

For better or worse, I have a reputation for digging up news in places that would rather remain darkened.

Former city councilors, current city employees, former city employees, business people, civic groups and municipal leaders from other communities were all calling and texting me, complaining with one central theme: Biddeford City Manager James Bennett was acting like Nucky Thompson in Boardwalk Empire.

The complaints kept coming. I had people meeting me in my backyard, breaking down in tears as they described what it’s like to work in City Hall, afraid that Bennett would find out they were talking to me.

I never liked Bennett anyway. I had nothing to lose. No one else was willing to step up, so I decided to take on the task, even though by doing so I had to relinquish what I loved: covering Biddeford City Hall.

Liz and I met at Garside’s Ice Cream. I told her that I would begin an organized effort to oust the city manager. Further complicating things, my stepsister had become Saco’s new mayor. I was up to my eyeballs in conflicts of interest. I told Liz that I would still write feature stories for her.

She agreed. I then turned my attention on ousting Bennett. It took me less than eleven weeks before he finally announced his resignation.

But now, with Bennett finally put in place, how am I supposed to be an unbiased reporter again? I can’t, and that’s why I decided to launch the Biddeford Gazette, especially since it was becoming increasingly clear that Liz was pulling further away, wanting to avoid ruffling feathers and steering clear of any controversy.

Liz and I are friends, but we have very different styles in pursuing news stories. Both styles are necessary and equally valid, which is why Woodward and Bernstein made such a good pair at the Washington Post. Liz is more like Woodward, curious but cautious. I’m more like Bernstein, brash and impatient.

A few weeks ago, I pitched a story idea about a high-profile real estate developer filing bankruptcy. She said she was not sure she wanted the story. A couple of days later, she asked if I had any related files. She was giving the story to someone else.

I politely forwarded the files, and Saco Bay News published the story with absolutely no mention of my contributing work. It was now crystal clear to me. It was time for me to move on.

A man of wealth and taste

A few months ago, I started re-reading Outlaw Journalist, a biography of one of my favorite writers, Hunter S. Thompson.

Thompson worked as a reporter for Rolling Stone magazine and several other publications across the country, and he is the one who coined the phrase “Gonzo Journalism.”

Wikipedia describes Gonzo-style journalism as “an approach to news reporting that represents a notable departure from traditional media protocols. Gonzo journalism offers readers a ‘more personal approach’ to news reporting. This style of reporting is not limited by the standards of objectivity and often includes the reporter providing a first-person narrative of the story.”

Common trademarks of Gonzo Journalism include sarcasm, humor and profanity.

I suddenly had what alcoholics describe as a “moment of clarity.”

I knew exactly what I wanted to do, and how I wanted to do it. I am now semi-retired, and I have more years behind me than I have in front of me.

If I’m going to be broke, frustrated and full of discontent, why not move forward on my own terms? Why not write and publish whatever I want, whenever I want?

The Biddeford Gazette is NOT intended to compete with Saco Bay News, the Courier or the Press Herald. I’ll be leaving traditional coverage to them..

In my mind, the Biddeford Gazette will serve three primary functions.

We will use social media tools to collect and share news about Biddeford from other media outlets. We will only publish their headlines and provide our readers a direct link to their news site. This gives people in Biddeford, a convenient one-stop destination to find out what’s happening in their community. It also helps other media outlets by driving more traffic to their sites.

We will fill some notable gaps in local news coverage by publishing limited, original content in a non-traditional manner, Gonzo Journalism. Unlike other media outlets, we will focus solely on the city of Biddeford.

Finally, the Biddeford Gazette will track and monitor the actions and maneuvers of our city’s legislative delegation, something that is not being regularly reported on by existing media outlets.

For example, this week I am working on a story that will provide a preview of the upcoming legislative session and what our Biddeford delegation is planning. We will interview each of them and ask hard questions.

State Rep. Ryan Fecteau has once again been named as Speaker of the Maine House. That’s great news. But is Fecteau skirting at least the spirit of Maine’s term limits law? He already served four terms in the House before moving to a new district a few blocks away from his former home.? As Speaker, can he give his full attention to his Biddeford constituents?

State Rep. Marc Malon is returning for a second term. Congratulations! I put one of his campaign signs on my lawn, but how does he plan to separate his full-time job with the Maine Democratic Party from his service to constituents who might not be Democrats?

Hang on, things are going to be fun. We’re dusting off our keyboards and putting fresh batteries in our flashlights. We’re working for you. If you have a news tip, question or concern, please let me know. biddefordgazette@gmail.com

Cheers!

Never miss another installment of Lessons in Mediocrity! Subscribe for free today!

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: