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Fort Fairfield Journal Now the Only Independently-Owned Newspaper in Northern Maine

 

Fort Fairfield Journal, February 17, 2016

With the Bangor Daily News’ acquisition of the St. John Valley Times in Madawaska last November, the Fort Fairfield Journal is now the only independently owned newspaper left in Northern Maine.  All other local newspapers in Northern Maine are now owned and printed by the Bangor Daily News newspaper monopoly. 

   At 36 years of age, David Deschesne, a local commercial sound  system contractor, started writing and publishing the Fort Fairfield Journal in May, 2004.  At that time he sub-contracted the services of the St. John Valley Times’ printing press to print the newspaper in a black and white format.

   In 2008, Deschesne acquired a high capacity black & white laser printer and moved the printing to Fort Fairfield, keeping all of the newspaper publishing “in house” from composition to printing.   A few months after that move, Deschesne upgraded to a full color laser printer which is used primarily for front page pictures and full color advertisements.

   In 2011, another upgrade to a high volume black & white digital duplicator allowed for faster print times and an expansion into commercial printing.  The Fort Fairfield Journal is composed by Deschesne at an office in his home; the print shop is located at Bookmart, a store he and his wife, Tammy own in Fort Fairfield.

  As a staff of one, Deschesne researches, writes, composes layout, sells ads, prints and distributes the Fort Fairfield Journal.  He is assisted by Tammy in subscription mailing.  He is also webmaster for the newspaper’s website and the engineer and producer of the professionally produced news and documentary videos at the Fort Fairfield Journal’s television news website, wffjtv.com

   While all other local newspapers in northern Maine are now under the direct influence of the Bangor Daily News and, what many people in this area consider, its extreme left-leaning—some would say Communist—ideology, Deschesne continues to maintain the Fort Fairfield Journal as the only pro-freedom, pro-gun, Christian conservative/libertarian-style news publication in print in all of Northern Maine.