Maine journalism has a big new player

By Ted Cohen

A Maine page on Facebook devoted to unearthing government corruption and malfeasance has announced a new website.

Strange Maine has roughly 15,000 Facebook followers, proving its mettle in the competitive world of investigative journalism.

"For years, Strange Maine has operated on social media as a record of local history, municipal accountability, court dockets, and regional culture," said sponsor John Rupert. "But social media platforms were never designed for real, unfiltered investigative work.

"Algorithms suppress hard truths, flag public records, and limit what independent desks can publish.

"That ends today," Rupert posted Monday, announcing his new website.

"We have expanded this platform into our official home base and digital wire…a direct, uncensored channel for local journalism, historical documentation, and public record transparency," he said.

Strange Maine and The Maine Wire are the only two legitimate investigative news outlets in the Pine Tree State, though that doesn't mean others haven't tried to play that role.

While The Maine Wire, an arm of the Maine Policy Institute unabashedly represents conservative politics, Strange Maine appears to be completely nonpartisan in its efforts to unearth government corruption.