How the newsroom works

Our mission

The Bangor Daily News advocates with all its might for the best interests of Maine through strong journalism that serves its readers.

How we handle corrections

When we make an error of fact, we correct it immediately and note our error in the story. 

We correct errors no matter where they occur: Online, in print, in a photo cutline, on social media or in a news alert or email newsletter. We don’t remove stories from the web.

How we handle anonymous sources

We push sources to provide information on the record. That means that we identify, by name and title, those who give us reportable information. We will in some cases grant anonymity, based upon the following conditions:

1. The information is of vital public interest, and cannot otherwise be reported
2. Identifying the source could put the source in physical danger, or threaten their employment.
3. The person is a victim of an alleged crime.

Question from a reader: "I wish we could know more about how the Editorial Board works at BDN. How does the Opinion Section operate independently, and not bleed into the official reporting of the news?"

Answer from BDN managing editor Dan MacLeod: "Great question! Here's the short answer: Editorials are written by the editorial board, not the newsroom. The editorial board is made up of Susan Young and Matt Junker. They report to BDN publisher Rick Warren. That team also solicits and edits OpEds and letters to the editor, with help from editorial cartoonist George Danby.

I oversee the newsroom, which produces stories on local news, Maine politics, features and sports. I have no idea what the opinion folks are working on. My team and I do not contribute to editorials, nor do we edit OpEds or letters to the editor. Likewise, the editorial board does not produce or edit news stories. Anything you see that says "opinion" on it is conceived and written without us. In fact, we are at times surprised by what the editorial board and its contributors write. The team of editors that runs our website — and reports to me — does read over those pieces before publishing and promoting them on social media and our homepage. 

Groups, elected officials and political candidates often come into the office to meet with the editorial board. In some cases, the board will invite members of the newsroom to attend — especially during election season — to see if the meeting yields news. What the newsroom and editorial board writes, if anything, about those meetings is separate and not coordinated."

What other questions do you have about how the newsroom works?

We welcome your questions. Email us at [e-mail].