In Maine, high school sports are a uniting force. Thousands flock to Bangor, Portland and Augusta for the annual statewide high school basketball tournament in February. For several days, often from early in the morning to late in the evening, the gyms are electric. Small-town businesses shut down for the occasion.
For sports editor Bill Stewart’s team, it’s all hands on deck during all three high school sports seasons. Stewart’s team of reporters and editors cover sports for the publications of the Maine Trust for Local News, including the Portland Press Herald, Sun Journal, Morning Sentinel and Kennebec Journal.
“Our circulation area is huge, and Maine is a very unique state, with different town-by-town personalities,” Stewart said. “Something that ties them is their passionate fan base, no matter where you live. In big towns and small towns, you see that at the games.”
To tap into that passion, in early 2024, the Press Herald pitched a short-form video initiative to The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Lenfest awarded a $25,000 grant to elevate the sports coverage and bolster the team’s digital capabilities. That investment led to a 22x gain in Instagram followers since 2024.
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