Portland Press Herald

Former Portland Press Herald Reporter Jonathan Kaplan has an interesting column in The Washington Post this morning about the dwindling press corps in Washington. 

Kaplan was laid off from the Press Herald in a recent round of layoffs that resulted in the closure of the paper’s Washington D.C. and Augusta bureaus.

Kaplan writes:

William Cohen, a former Maine Senator and Secretary of Defense, and Robert Baldacci, the brother of the governor, are part of a group that intends to buy the Kennebec Journal, the Morning Sentinel and the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram.

The sale is not a done deal, the group has just issued a letter of intent, Press Herald Publisher Charles Cochrane told the Morning Sentinel.

The group also includes developer Michael Liberty and Richard Conner. Originally from Bangor, Conner has 40 years experience owning and operating newspapers, the Sentinel reported.

Cohen’s son, Kevin, may also get in on the deal.

"We hope we can reach an agreement that allows us to continue the heritage of strong Maine journalism and public service to the communities served by these newspapers and to the state," William Cohen said in a statement.

The Morning Sentinel has more details about the potential acquisition.

The Portland Press Herald will be losing three of its seasoned political reporters, reports Al Diamon who writes the Media Mutt blog for Downeast magazine. Diamon cited anonymous sources with the paper.

State House reporter Paul Carrier and political reporter Kevin Wack are two of six reporters who have accepted a buyout from the paper. In addition, Washington, D.C. reporter Jonathan Kaplan has been laid off.

The Press Herald is cutting a number of jobs as part of their recent round of budget cuts.

Press Herald bureaus may also be closed -- including the Washington, D.C., and Augusta offices, Diamon writes.

PPH editor Jeannine Guttman could not be reached immediately for comment.

Will the contract at the Portland Press Herald for Local 128 of the Newspaper Guild be binding on future owners? They hope not.

The Portland Press Herald has endorsed Democrat Adam Cote and Republican Charlie Summers in the First Congressional District race. Both candidates are Iraq War veterans.

Click here for the editorials on the endorsements. Click here for Wally’s commentary.

Is it just me, or were most readers of the Maine Sunday Telegram just as surprised as I was to see how much the folks at the University of Southern Maine are getting paid?   I especially liked the $102,754 for the finance director at the Muskie School of Public Service, and $98,221 a year for the director of the Office of Research Compliance –so much for “public service”.