MANP Connects: Nonprofit Journalism: Strengthening Maine's Civic Infrastructure
Zoom
Event Details
Reliable information is essential civic infrastructure, yet local journalism is undergoing profound change. As nonprofit news organizations fill gaps left by shrinking commercial media, they are reshaping how communities access trustworthy information and engage in civic life. Join leaders in nonprofit journalism for a conversation about how mission-driven reporting builds trust, counters misinformation, and ensures diverse communities are represented.
Together, we'll explore the role nonprofit journalism plays in strengthening democracy and creating a more informed Maine.
New this year: We’re carving out time just for your questions! Come ready with one in mind, or jot them down as the conversation unfolds, and get a chance to ask them at the end of the session!
Event Sponsor
For More Information:
Cost + Registration
- $0-$15 for MANP Members + Nonmembers
-
MANP Connects is remaining free in 2026! Optional donation revenue from our events supports the work we do on behalf of all nonprofits in Maine, and we are grateful for any financial support from those who are able to provide it.
-
- Register to receive access to the live event and to receive the recording + other resources in follow up.
- Registrants will receive a confirmation email as well as a reminder email that will be sent one day prior to the event.
- This MANP-hosted webinar will be hosted in Zoom Meeting and we ask participants turn off their cameras and mute themselves when joining.
- Watch previous MANP Connects on our Youtube Channel!
About the Panelists
Elias Taye is an award-winning journalist, editor and fact-checker with over a decade of media experience. After reporting extensively across Africa and internationally for the Associated Press (AP), he became the Editor-in-Chief of Amjambo Africa on April 1, 2026 succeeding Kathreen Harrison. In addition to his journalism and editing background, Taye is also recognized as a social media expert.
Micaela Schweitzer-Bluhm is the Executive Director of the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, which operates The Maine Monitor. Micaela joined MCPIR/The Maine Monitor after retiring as a Senior Foreign Service officer. Micaela represented the United States around the world for 26 years, leading U.S. diplomatic teams, and advancing U.S. principles of democratic governance, most importantly, the importance of a free and vibrant press.
Micaela spent most of her career in the Middle East and Southeast Europe and served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Skopje, North Macedonia, and at the U.S. embassies in Zagreb, Cairo, Baghdad, Tunis and Kathmandu and at the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem, where she led the Public Affairs Section and was the Consulate Spokesperson for four years.
Micaela holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations from Brown University and a Master’s Degree in National Security Studies from the National War College. A native of southern New England, Micaela, her husband Todd, and three children have called Maine home since 2017, and live in Belfast. When not avidly devouring news reporting, you might find her and her family sailing in Penobscot Bay, hitting the ski slopes across Maine, or hiking new paths with their two rescue dogs.
Micaela is on the board of the Maine Press Association, serving as Second Vice President and chair of the Scholarship Committee, and is on the board of the Maine Freedom of Information Coalition, which aims to broaden knowledge and awareness of the First Amendment and state laws aimed at assuring public access to government proceedings and government records.