Beat system reflects Mainebiz effort to get out the door
In the year since I joined Mainebiz, I have preached (and tried to practice) the philosophy that the editorial staff should get out and meet with businesspeople around the state.
It's important that we put the “Maine” in Mainebiz, but it also reflects an old newsroom edict that it is shoe leather that leads you to good stories. To quote Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Ben Cramer, “There are no stories at your desk!”
With that in mind, I have encouraged the staff here to make a list of people they'd like to meet, get out the DeLorme atlas and get on the road.
In line with the thinking, Mainebiz staffers have adopted a beat system that we hope enhances our coverage and understanding of Maine's businesses.
Senior Writer James McCarthy has done a great job already covering health care and energy issues, and he will continue his pursuit of those fields. He will also cover law firms and legal issues. Jim also has decades of experience covering Bath Iron Works and will continue that coverage, as well.
Senior Writer Lori Valigra has already demonstrated a talent for covering technology; under the new system, tech will come under the umbrella of “innovation,” which will also include covering organizations like Maine Technology Institute as well as the venture capital industry that makes so much innovation possible. She has already and will continue to cover the broad spectrum of food production. Today, much of the talk is about “farm to table,” which she'll cover, but in Maine it also includes the major challenge of distribution. Lori's beats will also include banking and finance.
Our online editor, Dylan Martin, has stepped up to provide detailed real estate coverage for our Tuesday Real Estate Insider, and he will also cover retail, marketing and media. There are many beats that we cover every day in our Daily email, and those include higher education, ship-and-boatbuilding, the fisheries, tourism and recreation, manufacturing, labor and forest products. These continue to be priorities.
We hope that the beat system will deepen our understanding of particular industries, help us develop sources and provide a point of contact for you, the readers.
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