The Maine Monitor, a publication of the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, produces investigative and in-depth journalism.
Our nonprofit newsroom is nonpartisan and independent. We are committed to truth and accountability — in our reporting and our processes.
We approach stories with a curious and open mind, and interrogate everything with a healthy dose of skepticism. We aim for our reporting to be fair, accurate and thorough, and work every day to continue earning Mainers’ trust.
Our guiding principles
We believe in the power of investigative journalism and its ability to help Mainers to better understand their state, and are working every day to earn their trust and bring new facts to light.
We are transparent about our processes, funders, and affiliations.
We seek the truth with compassion and integrity.
We approach stories with a curious and open mind, and interrogate everything with a healthy dose of skepticism.
We aim for our reporting to be fair, honest, and thorough. We do not distort facts, images, or data, and we always strive to provide accurate context.
We understand the impact our work can have on individuals, institutions, and communities, and we take that responsibility seriously.
Editorial independence
Our news choices are not influenced by our donors or board members, and all decisions about the selection, writing and editing of stories are the responsibility of the editors and reporters.
For more about our board and funders, read our independence policy and our donor policy.
Reporting practices
The Maine Monitor recognizes that not everyone our reporters talk to is familiar with traditional journalistic practices, and our staff will be as transparent as possible about the process. When our reporters approach someone for an interview, they will identify themselves and describe the story they are working on.
Sharing your story or experience is your decision.
“On the record”: Conversations with reporters are “on the record” unless a prior arrangement has been agreed upon by both parties. “On the record” means information can be quoted and attributed to the person by name.
“On background”: If you have sensitive information you want to provide a reporter without your name attached, you can ask that the conversation be “on background” or “not for attribution.” Both parties must agree in advance for a conversation to be “on background” or “not for attribution.”
“Off the record”: If you want to share information for the reporter’s knowledge only and do not want that information used in an article unless otherwise corroborated, you can request that the conversation be “off the record.” Off the record conversations must be agreed upon in advance by both parties.
We do not pay sources for information or interviews, nor do we pay people to let us take their photograph.
The Monitor occasionally obscures identifying information (e.g. via pseudonyms or omitting last names) to protect sources from potential retribution. Those decisions are made at the discretion of the editors, and will be denoted within the story.
We do not allow approval or edits of quotes, and we do not share drafts or parts of drafts in advance of publication.
If a story includes allegations about or criticism of certain people or organizations, we will give them the opportunity to respond.
We seek out diverse perspectives, and we identify sources’ affiliations or backgrounds when this is useful to understanding their point of view.
We may or may not tell your full story, or share every detail you provide us. Additional context around your story may be added to enhance our audiences’ understanding.
We may share your story, your image, or parts of your story in multiple formats, including but not limited to with other outlets, on our website, via email and social media.
Fact checking
Our reporters are responsible for rigorously fact checking their own work. During the editing process, editors will often ask reporters to share their sourcing so they can double check that the facts are correct and being reported in the appropriate context; editors will also take great care not to insert errors when making changes. Ultimately it is up to the reporters, who know the material best, to take responsibility for the accuracy of their work.
Reporters may call sources in order to check facts or make sure technical details are being conveyed correctly, but they will not send or read full stories to sources before publication and should make clear to the sources that they are only correcting errors, not providing an opportunity to change quotes or adjust the framing.
We do not allow sources to approve or edit quotes, and we do not share drafts or parts of drafts in advance of publication.
Corrections
We do our best to ensure the accuracy of everything we print, but we’re not perfect. If we learn of an error in a story, we’ll correct it promptly and indicate that the story was changed by appending a correction note to the bottom. We will also notify our media partners that have republished the story.
If you believe there’s an error in our reporting, please fill out our contact form and we’ll be in touch. In order to be transparent with our audience, we maintain a log of corrections and clarifications that have been appended to our stories.
Endorsements and political involvement
As a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization, The Maine Monitor does not endorse political candidates or take stances on political issues.
Our journalists will avoid running for or holding office, volunteering for political campaigns, serving on community boards, donating to campaigns and displaying campaign materials.
Conflicts of interest
Our reporters and editors will not work on stories about issues they have a unique financial or personal interest in. If a reporter or a reporter’s immediate family member has ties to a particular institution mentioned in an article, we will disclose that in the story.
We do not accept gifts or free trips from sources. Our integrity demands that we neither solicit nor accept any form of preferential treatment based on our professional positions.
Use of AI
Our stories are written and edited without the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Our newsroom, however, may use AI under the supervision of newsroom leadership to enhance website features (such as to ensure our site is accessible to readers of all backgrounds) or during the reporting process (such as to assist in transcribing recorded interviews or in analyzing a large amount of public records). When AI is used, our journalists and newsroom will take the aforementioned fact-checking steps to ensure its accuracy.
Bylines & collaborations
Our original Maine Monitor stories and newsletters are written by reporters and editors on staff or by freelancers we’ve assigned to report for us. Their names, biographies and photos are included alongside their articles. Content labeled as “By The Maine Monitor” are written by staff editors and are reserved for newsroom announcements (e.g. stories about accolades earned or welcoming new hires).
We occasionally partner with other news organizations to report stories. When a story is the product of such collaboration and being co-published with another news organization, we will note this at the top of an article.
If we republish an article from a news agency or another organization, we will credit the reporter and organization in the byline.
This policy is in effect as of August 7, 2024.