Historically, most news outlets have prided themselves on breaking a big story, getting a scoop, or uncovering a major injustice. But in the modern media landscape, the cost of in-depth reporting, combined with the demands of the daily deadline, have made it difficult for news rooms to produce true "investigative" work. One former newspaper publisher in Maine has decided to try a new model -- a non-profit.

In a career spanning four decades, John Christie has worked as a newspaper reporter, editor, general manager, and most recently as publisher. This past June, Christie retired after nearly a decade as president and publisher of Central Maine Newspapers, which publishes the Kennebec Journal and the Morning Sentinal. He has since announced his plans to create "The Maine Center For Public Interest Reporting," a non-profit, whose mission, he says, will be to help to meet a growing demand for in-depth, independent journalism.

The Maine Center For Public Interest Reporting will publish its first story this Thursday in the Bangor Daily News, Lewiston Sun Journal, Ellsworth American and Mt. Desert Islander.