An Opinion Section From and For Maine

In early 2025, The Portland Press Herald stopped running nationally syndicated op-eds and started focusing solely on the state of Maine. The Maine Trust for Local News also created a single Opinion and Letters section to serve all of its daily papers, giving top priority to Letters to the Editor and op-ed submissions that have a local or statewide focus. 

📈 The result? Within six months, web visits to opinion stories or letters were up by 63%, with more than 300 new subscribers converted from the digital opinion section.

“By combining letters inboxes from around our state, our letters section has gotten stronger and more pertinent,” said Carolyn Fox, executive editor for the Maine Trust for Local News. “Our op-eds have become more relevant, pegged to what so many in Maine are talking about or struggling with. And our columns now better reflect our community.”

With amplified attention on Maine in the 2026 election cycle, the Maine Trust expects to build on its success with local-first editorial pages.