In 2009, John Christie and Naomi Schalit, veteran Maine journalists, embarked on a bold
initiative to reverse what they saw as a worrisome decline in investigative reporting in Maine
— the first type of journalism to be cut as Maine newsrooms contracted amid budget woes.
John and Naomi knew that Maine could not afford to abandon the accountability that comes with investigative reporting — a vital public service. They saw investigative reporting as a journalist’s principal duty to the First Amendment of the Constitution, and they saw a need for it in Maine.
So in 2009 they founded the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting (MCPIR), the first organization of its kind in Maine — nonprofit, nonpartisan, fiercely independent and dedicated to deeply researched and honestly reported journalism.
In choosing to create a nonprofit news organization, John and Naomi were part of a new
initiative to save local news in the United States by turning to the nonprofit model. In 2009,
this model was not a sure bet, and John and Naomi took a risk — a risk that their vision and
leadership ultimately made successful.
In the below special 15th anniversary print edition, we have collected some of the most noteworthy
and impactful stories published by the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting over the past 15 years. Some appeared in Maine news outlets under the MCPIR name, some appeared under Pine Tree Watch, a name we used for a time, and many came out under The Maine Monitor, our publication since 2020.
They are stories that hold officials accountable, that seek to right wrongs and get Maine people the services and rights they deserve. They tell the story of Maine: our people, our land, our determination, our creativity.
To view the special edition, click the image below.
