Tampa Bay Times Managing Editor Carolyn Fox has been named executive editor of the Maine Trust for Local News. Boyzell Hosey

The Maine Trust for Local News has hired an executive editor to lead all of its news operations, including the Press Herald and more than a dozen other daily and weekly newspapers across the state.

Carolyn Fox will be stepping down as the managing editor of the Tampa Bay Times to take on the newly created position. She starts on Oct. 7.

Maine Trust publisher and CEO Lisa DeSisto announced the hire Tuesday in a memo to employees.

“After a rigorous recruitment process that attracted candidates from all over the country, we’ve found an exceptional newsroom leader who brings hands-on experience leading transformational work with the end goal of producing impactful journalism that makes a difference in the lives of our readers,” DeSisto wrote.

Fox, 42, is the first newsroom leadership hire since former owner Reade Brower sold the Press Herald and his other papers last year to the National Trust for Local News, a nonprofit journalism organization. The Maine Trust was created to manage operations here, while the National Trust has created similar state trusts to oversee news organizations in Colorado and Georgia, and is looking to expand into other states.

In an interview Tuesday, Fox said she has dreamed of being an executive editor for years and called this “an incredible opportunity to do great journalism.”

Fox said the model set up by the Maine Trust – which accepts donations and grant support in addition to generating advertising and circulation revenue – is one of the reasons she was interested in the job, and she hopes to have resources and access to analytics that will help serve readers.

“The nonprofit model is so exciting in part because you can make that pitch to people that the journalism matters – what we do matters – and then sell that,” she said.

The position was created after the departure of Portland Press Herald Executive Editor Steve Greenlee, who stepped down this summer for a faculty position at Boston University. Fox will oversee the Press Herald’s news department, but also be in charge of the newsrooms of the Lewiston Sun Journal, the Kennebec Journal in Augusta, the Morning Sentinel in Waterville, the Times Record in Brunswick and several weekly papers in southern and western Maine.

With a background in digital newspaper and magazine platforms, Fox is expected to continue leading the Maine Trust’s transition as fewer readers rely on traditional print papers. Although circulation numbers have declined at the trust’s newspapers – as with every newspaper across the country – more and more people read coverage online.

Dan Kennedy, a professor of journalism at Northeastern University who closely follows media trends, said he doesn’t know Fox, but said the Tampa Bay Times has long been “a terrific paper,” even amid financial challenges.

“The Tampa Bay Times – and maybe this is why she was so attractive to the Maine Trust – is a for-profit newspaper owned by a nonprofit (The Poynter Institute). So, it’s exactly the same setup,” he said.

He also said Fox’s background in digital operations makes sense.

“It’s all digital now, so I suppose if you brought someone in who is a print nostalgist, that would be disturbing,” Kennedy said. “I think it probably makes sense to have someone with overall editorial authority over all the papers but at the same time I hope there are people on the ground who are in charge of individual papers as well.”

Fox’s role as executive editor for all the trust’s papers and websites is “designed to support our ‘one company’ vision by accelerating our collaboration, digital transformation, and focus on staff training and development across all Maine Trust newsrooms,” DeSisto said.

“I think that was one of the top criteria for us, not only digital expertise but experience leading that transformation,” she said. “At the core of all of it – regardless of platform – is important, ambitious, relevant journalism.”

Fox hinted that changes could be coming, but not at the expense of quality journalism.

“I think when it comes to change, it’s important to understand that within this business, you try things, see how they go and adjust accordingly,” she said. “The number-one person you serve is your reader, and they will tell you quickly if they like something or not.”

One of Fox’s first tasks will be to rebuild the leadership structure of the Press Herald newsroom. In addition to Greenlee, managing editor Nita Lelyveld stepped down this month.

Fox is a native of San Diego and has held positions at USA Today, National Geographic, Advance Local – a New York-based news organization – and the Times-Picayune in New Orleans. She has spent the last five years as an editor at the Tampa Bay Times, which is widely regarded as one of the top regional newspapers in the country. The paper has won 14 Pulitzer Prizes since 1964.

“I have never worked somewhere with such good journalism and good people,” she said. “The journalism is of the highest quality for regional newspaper, but the people here are as good as colleagues get.”

The Tampa Bay Times announced Fox’s departure on Tuesday as part of a broader leadership reorganization at that paper. Editor Mark Katches praised Fox in the Times article.

“I couldn’t be more proud of what she has accomplished at the Times. And I’m grateful for every day I’ve gotten to spend with her in this special newsroom of ours,” Katches said.

DeSisto said readers should expect improvements in the Maine’s Trust digital products and presentation but said the goal of serving communities remains unchanged.

Fox said said she looks forward to meeting with staff at all the Maine Trust newspapers and learning more about the communities they serve. She fondly remembers visiting Maine as a child, but she also went to Emerson College in Boston and has family and friends in New England.

Her top goal is to put staff in a position to do their best work and to have fun.

“When people have fun and enjoy it, they are going to give you their best,” she said.

Prior to Fox, Greenlee served as the Press Herald’s top editor beginning in 2021. Greenlee was the paper’s managing editor for nine years prior to that under former Executive Editor Cliff Schechtman.

In announcing his decision to step down, Greenlee cited both the heavy burden of leading a newsroom and an exciting new opportunity to work with student journalists at BU.

“We have terrific leadership across the room, and the work we’re doing to accelerate our digital transformation will set us up well to face the future and sustain our operation,” he said in a memo to Maine Trust staff in June. “With the backing of the National Trust for Local News and a publisher who cares about good journalism, this newsroom has a bright future. You’re well-positioned to continue doing exceptional work.”

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