Recorded June 8, 2022 by the Maine Association of Nonprofits
When advocating for your issues, connecting with the journalists and the media to share your organization’s story remains one of the best ways to spread your message and mission to a wide audience.
Join this session to hear from local journalists who cover nonprofits, public policy, the State House, and other critical issues affecting Mainers. They’ll share what they find to be effective engagement approaches, tips on when to send (or not send) a press release, and compelling methods to make your organization the “go-to” source for your policy issues.
Guest Speakers
David Dahl, The Maine Monitor
Veteran journalist David Dahl serves as the editor of The Maine Monitor, overseeing its daily operations. David was most recently a deputy managing editor at the Boston Globe, where he had responsibility for front-page stories, was involved in strategic planning and personnel matters and was part of a team that repositioned the Globe for its digital future. He had previously served as the paper’s political editor, supervising coverage of state politics, and as the regional editor, overseeing a network of hyperlocal news sites.
Before joining the Globe, David worked for 20 years at the St. Petersburg Times, including several years as its Washington bureau chief. He was a Nieman fellow at Harvard University and a fellow at the Sulzberger Executive Leadership Program at Columbia University. He has also been an adjunct professor of journalism at Emerson College, Boston College and Boston University.
David and his wife, Kathy, enjoy tennis and kayaking at their home in Friendship. They have two adult children. David can be reached at david@themainemonitor.org.
AJ Douglas, FOX Bangor/ABC 7
AJ Douglas joined the WVII team in January 2022. The Atlanta, Georgia native finished her degree program at California State University in Sacramento, California. She has covered freelance stories in multiple locations from downtown Atlanta to the Bay area. She is passionate about storytelling and is humbled to tell well-rounded stories.
As a military brat, she has prior experience living in the Northeast and is excited to be in the New England area. When she is not reporting she enjoys making memories with friends, reading and living life without a schedule. If you have a story idea, email AJ at adouglas@wvii.com.
Susan Sharon, Maine Public
Deputy News Director Susan Sharon is a reporter and editor whose on-air career in public radio began as a student at the University of Montana. Early on, she also worked in commercial television doing a variety of jobs. Susan first came to Maine Public Radio as a State House reporter whose reporting focused on politics, labor and the environment. More recently she's been covering corrections, social justice and human interest stories. Her work, which has been recognized by SPJ, SEJ, PRNDI and the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, has taken her all around the state - deep into the woods, to remote lakes and ponds, to farms and factories and to the Maine State Prison. Over the past two decades, she's contributed more than 100 stories to NPR.