Last Sunday’s paper buried Platner story | Letter
Reader Questions Editorial Decision on Platner Story Placement
A York Harbor resident is calling out the Portland Press Herald over where it ran a story about Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner.
In a letter to the editor, Marshall Jarvis criticized the paper for placing what he described as a major, verified story about Platner on the last page of the Maine/New England section in the May 31 edition of the Maine Sunday Telegram. Jarvis argued the placement amounted to burying the story, noting that it had been picked up by major national outlets including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, CNN and CBS.
Jarvis's letter was published under the Press Herald's election-2026 coverage tag.
The story at the center of Jarvis's complaint involves Platner, who is running for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Maine's 2026 race. Details of the specific allegations or revelations that drew national attention were not included in Jarvis's letter. National coverage of Platner has included reporting on past online posts and other personal background information that surfaced during the campaign.
Jarvis did not quote any Press Herald editors or staff in his letter, nor did he cite a specific editorial explanation for the story's placement. His objection rested on the contrast between the paper's decision to run the piece in the back of a regional section and the broader attention the same reporting received from some of the country's largest news organizations.
The Maine Sunday Telegram is the Sunday edition of the Portland Press Herald, and Jarvis's letter appeared in the paper's letters to the editor feature, a forum the publication uses to share reader reactions to its own coverage and other matters of public interest.
The Press Herald has not publicly responded to Jarvis's complaint in the letters published alongside his. Editors at the paper did not immediately reply to requests for comment.
Jarvis's letter is the latest in a stream of reader feedback the Press Herald has received as it covers the 2026 election cycle, which has already generated intense interest in Maine's Senate race. The paper has encouraged readers to follow its Maine Political Report newsletter and text alerts for ongoing coverage.
The underlying story about Platner continues to draw coverage from both national and Maine-based outlets as the campaign progresses. Platner is one of several candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for the seat currently held by Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who has not yet announced her plans for 2026.
Readers who wish to weigh in on the paper's coverage can submit letters to the editor through the Press Herald's website.
This is a developing story. Maine News Now will update this article as more information becomes available.
