A new nonprofit organization is currently engaged in a fundraising effort to secure $1 million for the acquisition of three prominent Hancock County newspapers. These publications, which include The Ellsworth American, the Mount Desert Islander, and the Bangor Historian, are presently owned by Maine media figure Reade Brower, who is reportedly stepping away from his extensive career in local media.
The initiative to purchase these papers is being led by staff members from within the publications themselves. These individuals have collectively established the Acadia Newspaper Trust with the express purpose of transitioning the ownership model of these vital community news sources. The details of this ambitious undertaking were confirmed by Ellsworth American Publisher Chris Crockett, highlighting the internal drive behind the proposed change.
According to the plans laid out by the Acadia Newspaper Trust, if their fundraising efforts prove successful, the trio of newspapers would undergo a significant transformation, becoming nonprofit entities. This structural shift is central to the trust’s vision for the future of local journalism in the region, aiming to ensure the long-term viability and community focus of The Ellsworth American, Mount Desert Islander, and Bangor Historian.
The impetus for this potential sale is linked to the impending retirement of Reade Brower. News of Brower’s retirement was published in an article in The Ellsworth American on a recent Wednesday, signaling a pivotal moment for the media landscape in Maine. Brower has been a long-standing and significant owner of various daily and weekly newspapers across the state, shaping local news coverage for many years.
More than three years prior to this current development, Brower undertook a substantial restructuring of his media empire. At that time, he divested himself of the majority of his numerous newspaper holdings, selling them to the Maine Trust for Local News, which itself operates as a nonprofit organization. However, he specifically retained ownership of a smaller group of papers, which included those situated in Hancock County, alongside other publications in Waldo and Knox counties. The current fundraising drive specifically targets these retained Hancock County assets. The move by the Acadia Newspaper Trust to acquire The Ellsworth American, Mount Desert Islander, and Bangor Historian represents a concerted local effort to maintain and evolve these specific publications under a community-focused, nonprofit structure, following in the footsteps of Brower’s earlier sale of other properties to a similar nonprofit model. The aspiration is to safeguard these papers as essential sources of local news and information for the communities they serve. The $1 million target represents a significant financial undertaking for the newly formed trust, underscoring the commitment of the staff to their local news outlets.
