Maine author Stephen King has always been a passionate philanthropist, especially when it comes to improving the situation in Maine. The Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation was created to give back to the communities where it's founders grew up, and has done a lot of good in improving the lives of Mainers.
When King heard that the Portland Press Herald would be discontinuing its paid reviews of Maine books (books by Maine authors, about Maine, or set in Maine), he took to twitter to voice his frustration and call for the Press Herald to reconsider the decision.
This sentiment was echoed by local librarians and authors, as well as the general public.
Some people were confused about why people would need a newspaper to review books in the digital age.
Writer Luke O'Neil also had an interesting idea. O'Neil's recent GoFundMe campaign to build a giant escalator over the US/Mexico border wall if it becomes a reality (the campaign is actually raising money for RAICES, a non-profit which is "providing free and low-cost legal services to underserved immigrant children, families, and refugees.").
The Press Herald, after seeing the attention garnered by King's tweet, offered to reinstate the reviews if at least 100 of King's followers subscribed to the digital version of the paper. The motivation for stopping the reviews was saving money, so this would provide the necessary revenue to continue paying reviewers.
There was an outpouring of support for the paper, including people from as far away as Texas and Washington purchasing digital subscriptions.
When the requisite 100 subscriptions were achieved, and exceeded, Portland Press Herald posted an update.
In an age where information is available anywhere in the world instantly, it's thrilling to see what that immediate communication can accomplish.
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