Stand with the BDN in support of local journalism

Fifteen months ago, when COVID-19 shut down businesses around the world, advertising in newspapers collapsed just as the public’s need for information exploded.

So we asked our readers for support. You, and more than 650 other people, stepped forward to support the Bangor Daily News with $60,000 in donations and a steady stream of letters and emails of encouragement. We were floored, and grateful. You told us that fact-based reporting matters, that you rely on local journalism, that you’d never want to be without the BDN. You stood with us in support of local journalism, which is essential to healthy local communities. And in 2020, “healthy” meant something really, really personal.

Since then, here’s what we’ve done.

• We helped cooped-up Mainers get outside and do things with guides to hiking, birding, paddling and more, sharing expert trail camera advice, and celebrating Maine’s hunting and fishing heritage. We also kept you up to date on how to cope with some of Maine’s worst pests (browntail moths and ticks).
• We delved into the traditions and expectations around access to private land between private landowners and Mainers looking to enjoy the outdoors.
• Our reporting exposed racism in the Bangor schools, and compelled school leaders to do something about it.
• During the pandemic, all of our events moved online, which made it possible for us to reach many more people than we could in person.
• We were the first local newsroom in the nation to call the 2020 presidential race, thanks to a unique method of analysis.
• We were among the first newsrooms to create a “forget me” policy, inviting people who were the subject of past crime stories to apply to have those stories de-listed from search engines, to make it easier for them to move on in their lives.

This is only a snapshot of the daily work of the Bangor Daily News.