Maine newspapers: rough sledding ahead?

By Ted Cohen/Patch.com

The new CEO at Maine's largest newspaper company is coming from a tumultuous tenure in Buffalo.

Tom Wiley’s time at The Buffalo News was marked by turmoil.

Is he damaged goods? How much is he being paid in Maine? (He refuses to say, despite the fallout from his predecessor who resigned in controversy over publicity about her huge salary raises.)

After Lee Enterprises acquired the Buffalo paper from Berkshire Hathaway in 2020, Wiley stood mute as the paper faced a perfect storm:

✓ Staff reductions: Layoffs and buyouts eliminated veteran journalists, including political reporter Bob McCarthy (41 years at the paper) and investigative reporter Matt Spina.

✓ Production outsourcing: Lee moved printing to Cleveland, cutting 160 jobs and causing delivery delays.

✓ Declining morale: Employees reported pay errors, benefit disruptions, and a lack of communication from Lee. The guild issued a vote of no confidence in management.

These cuts mirrored trends across Lee’s portfolio, where newsroom staffing dropped by 15% in 2022–2023.

Critics argue Lee prioritized cost-cutting over journalism, a contrast to Berkshire Hathaway’s hands-off stewardship.

Implications for 21 of Maine’s newspapers

The National Trust for Local News' $15 million acquisition of Maine’s largest newspaper in 2023 raised hopes for stability.

But so far cutbacks and layoffs have occurred. The company recently announced 50 layoffs.

Wiley claimed in a recent milquetoast interview with the Portland Press Herald that once he takes over in Maine "the money will come rolling in."

For Maine, the question remains: will the trust’s model— and Wiley’s experience — be enough to sustain the Portland Press Herald, which is Maine's biggest daily?