By Jennifer Lague

Have you ever wanted to be a journalist? If you do there is a woman who you should
know about. Her name is Lisa DeSisto and she is the CEO and Publisher for Maine
Today Media, Inc. She spoke at the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Eggs and
Issues forum onApril 9th at Holiday Inn by the Bay.

Maine Today Media is Maine’s largest media company and publishes four
newspapers in Maine. They are the Portland Press Herald, the Kennebec Journal, the
Morning Sentinal and the Maine Sunday Telegram. Lisa went to school at Amherst
University and used to work for the Boston Globe, the Boston Phoenix and Boston
Magazine. She started off the conference humorously stating that this conference is one
of the biggest sales calls that she ever did and compared the past Eggs & Issues speakers’
humanitarian efforts to her own most popular feature, the Obituaries.

The Press Herald is proud of its history, which includes articles about MaineCare
rides not doing their job, Daycare abuse issues and 911 transcripts being made. Many
articles from the Press Herald have resulted in positive change in the world. The Press
Herald has won the Scripps Howard Award for their series on aging and the George Polk
Award. There is a new section coming out called Source which will feature sustainable
living articles such as how to raise chickens, fishing tactics, how to grow your own
organic food and getting food from local farms. This section was sponsored partially by
Hannaford Bros. Supermarkets.

The Press Herald has 113,381 readers for the print version and 829,416 who read
the website. 1.2 million people from out of state visit the website as well. Pretty soon,
there will be a small fee to pay in order to get the Press Herald online but you will also
get a bonus of adding in a subscription to the printed version for the same price, $8 per
month. There will be five articles for free per month on the website as well. You can get
further information by visiting pressherald.com. Just don’t look for them at the Press
Herald building on Congress St., anymore, because that has now been converted into a
hotel.

At the end of the lecture several people were allowed to get up and ask her
questions. There was a man from the Maine Historical Society, the Principal of Cheverus
High School and even one of our own Beacon Staff who got up to ask her questions. Lisa
is easygoing, friendly and humorous in the way she deals with people. She is always
open to questions or suggestions at lisa@mainetoday.com. The website for Maine Today
Media is merely mainetodaymedia.com. If you have an interest in getting an internship at
one of the newspapers those are available as well.