Is MINC a nonprofit organization?

We have chosen to focus on standing up a confederation of partners focused on a common goal through fiscal sponsorship rather than incorporating as a non profit in order to direct as many resources as possible to each news organization, to fund the journalism.

What does local news have to do with digital equity?

Digital equity is the concept that all people in a community have access to and the ability to use digital means to participate fully in society, the economy, and democracy. The State of Maine, through the Maine Connectivity Authority, has created a State Digital Equity Plan to ensure that federal support for growth of broadband empowers Mainers who need assistance to reap the benefits of high speed internet. 

At MINC, we believe that digital access to fact based local news and information is a core component of digital equity – especially in those areas with limited access to both broadband and local journalism. The MINC digital technology fund will increase capacity for independent, Maine-based publishers in both audience reach and advertising delivery, helping to develop the digital skills and revenue needed to better serve their communities. MINC support for reporting resources addressing underserved regions and topics will, together with improvements in digital reach for partner newsrooms, increase access to high quality locally relevant journalism in rural regions of the state lacking both broadband and local journalism service.

How many readers do MINC partner newsrooms serve?

The founding group of MINC partner publications –– Amjambo Africa, Bangor Daily News, Lincoln County News, Penobscot Bay Press and The Quoddy Tides –– serves an audience of more than 1.5 million readers across Maine and beyond each month.

Does MINC have anything to do with the Maine Trust For Local News?

The Maine Independent News Collaborative is a separate project from the Maine Trust for Local News. We have shared goals to sustain and grow locally owned and accountable journalism for Maine and look forward to future opportunities for collaboration.