Learn how the reporter “gets the story”.
When a drug kingpin fell victim to a shooting in Harlem on Halloween, there was no reason to think that anyone in Maine would care much. But it turned out that Alpo Martinez’s death was, strangely, a local Lewiston story. During our first installment of ‘How I Got This Story,’ learn how reporter Steve Collins rooted out the tale, which has attracted hundreds of thousands of readers and been featured in papers from New York City to London.
Steve sits down with audience editor Madeleine LaPlante-Dube to discuss how his story came together.
Read up on the development on this story:
Former drug kingpin led surprisingly simple life in Lewiston
A former drug kingpin killed Sunday in New York had been hiding in Lewiston
A journalist since 1987, Steve Collins has worked for daily newspapers in New York, Connecticut and Maine. He has served as the State House reporter for the Sun Journal since 2016. Among his awards are the Society of Professional Journalists’ 2016 Ethics in Journalism Award and the I.F. Stone Whistle-Blower Award in 2015. Collins is a founder and board president of Youth Journalism International, a charity that teaches students around the globe about news writing, media literacy and issues of the day. His wife, Jackie Majerus, serves as its executive director. Born in Massachusetts, he grew up in a military family that took him to Norway, Ohio and Virginia, where he earned a degree in history from the University of Virginia. He and Jackie live in Auburn with their collie, Frankie. He has two grown children.
This event is made possible by supporters of local journalism. If you haven’t already, please subscribe today.
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less