Politics & Government
Maine fires columnists
The state's largest paper has jettisoned its freelance writers.
By Ted Cohen/Patch.com
Maine's largest paper, facing alleged budget problems, has canned its freelance writers, according to its garden columnist.
In a Facebook posting, former long time reporter and editor Tom Atwell, said he was given his walking papers by his Maine Sunday Telegram boss along with his fellow freelancers.
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"My editor tells me other freelance columns are also ending," Atwell said. "I didn't know it was going to be my last column until I submitted it."
The layoffs come as newspapers worldwide are losing subscribers, trying to survive in a digital world less dependent on the printing press.
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"NO WARNING"
The firings were abrupt. The editors gave the columnists no advance warning that their work was coming to an end.
The paper's top editor, Carolyn Fox, was unavailable for comment.
"IT'S EITHER THEM OR US"
After Stephanie Manning, managing director of the Maine Trust for Local News, recently told staffers about possible job cuts unionists concluded the non-members could be their firewall.
A number of members of the union representing full-time reporters claimed on Facebook to wish Atwell well despite having been secretly lobbying to get rid of him and his fellow freelancers.
Freelancers, considered independent contractors, are denied the benefits afforded News Guild of Maine members.
The layoffs surfaced amid reports that Elizabeth Hansen Shapiro, the CEO and co-founder of the so-called non-profit that owns the paper - National Trust for Local News - received a massive salary increase as the newspaper chain began widespread budget cuts.
"VETERAN NOT SPARED"
Atwell is a former political reporter and editor, having started his Portland-based career with the-then Guy Gannett Publishing Co.
A Maine native and U.S. Army veteran, Atwell was on the editorial staff of the Portland Press Herald - the Daily version of the Sunday Telegram - for 40 years. He was raised in Farmington and has a bachelor of arts degree in journalism from the University of Maine.
He began his newspapering as a Bangor Daily News intern in 1968, then wrote news for the Army, followed by the Lewiston Sun and then the Portland papers.
Editor's note: Ted Cohen is a member of the National Writers Union as well as a former longtime Portland Press Herald staffer.
