Last week, retired Portland Press Herald columnist Bill Nemitz announced in a column that he and other media leaders in the state had formed the Maine Journalism Foundation. The nonprofit organization was formed to “sustain and nurture Maine’s reputation as a bastion for independent local news.”

The foundation’s first goal is to acquire the Portland Press Herald and Maine Sunday Telegram from its current owner — and it has set an initial fundraising target of $15 million toward that goal. We asked Emily Barr, one of the founding board members and recently retired CEO of Graham Media Group, to tell us about what the foundation hopes to accomplish. Local Media Foundation is serving as a fiscal sponsor of the organization.