Four midcoast newspapers — the Free Press, Camden Herald, Republican Journal and Courier-Gazette — are merging into one new publication called the Midcoast Villager by the end of September.
The papers, along with the associated Village Soup websites, currently belong to Reade Brower, a media mogul who until recently owned many other newspapers throughout the state.
Brower sold the Portland Press Herald, four other daily newspapers and 17 weeklies to a nonprofit news organization in July 2023, but maintained ownership of the midcoast publications as well as two others in Hancock County: the Ellsworth American and Mount Desert Islander. He will continue to own the midcoast publications under the new brand.
The new consolidated paper, under Islandport Media, will continue to cover all of Knox and Waldo counties, according to its new website. The change was made to combine staff and resources to focus more on detailed coverage and expand its digital presence.
The publication said that it has increased its editorial staff in 2024 in anticipation of the rebrand, and that it will increase its coverage of arts and culture, while also pursuing “in-depth series” about important issues such as housing affordability.
In a more unusual move for a news organization, the publication also says it will open a new cafe in Camden in 2025, which will serve breakfast, lunch and coffee, and host local events.
The publication also plans to bring “pop-up newsrooms” to more rural towns in the region this fall to allow people to talk with editors.
“We are leaning into humanity and betting on a future that believes that kindness and respect for each other is at the root of our community,” Brower said. “We want people of differing viewpoints to honor each other and exert energy toward meeting each other in the middle with safe discussions, over food and drink, with invited guests from our community and around the world who inspire us to be better citizens and better neighbors.”
