Maine newspaper mystery

By Ted Cohen/Patch.com

The mystery surrounding the unexplained resignations of three top Maine news executives deepens by the day.

The CEO, top editor and deputy editor all quit in an apparent exodus they are refusing to explain.

Meanwhile resigned CEO Lisa DeSisto insists she meant "no swipe" at the former top editor in her farewell column.

DeSisto wrote that Carolyn Fox is "the first-ever executive editor of the Maine Trust for Local News," which owns the Portland Press Herald, the state's largest paper, as well as several other dailies.

But in fact Fox's predecessor Steve Greenlee, also held the title of executive editor for the trust. Fox was recently hired to succeed Greenlee after he resigned.

"Steve was the editor of the Press Herald," DeSisto said in an email follow-up to her column. "Carolyn oversees all the newsrooms of the Maine Trust. They are different roles. No swipe at Steve - I am a big fan of his and we worked together for more than a decade."

Neither DeSisto nor trust chairman Mark Stodder responded to questions about the apparent change in title and responsibilities of the top editor or of the deputy editor.

Nor did they or Greenlee comment on the reasons for the resignations of DeSisto, Greenlee and managing editor Nita Lelyveld.

DeSisto's goodbye column made no mention of the supposed changing role of the top editor.

Lelyveld, who was Greenlee's deputy, was unavailable for comment as to why she was not considered to fill the spot left by his resignation.

In the wake of Lelyveld's resignation, Maine Trust executives without explanation changed the title of the job she held from managing editor to senior managing editor.

The vacancy was recently advertised.

Fox, meanwhile, announced staff changes.