Portland Phoenix Newspaper Ends Publication

Portland's local alternative free newspaper, The Portland Phoenix is no more.

The Phoenix first started publication in Portland in 1999 in direct competition with the .  which ceased publication a few years later. Both papers focused on local arts, entertainment, lifestyle and political stories.

According to the Portland Press Herald, The Portland Phoenix lost two of its major advertisers. , Internet advertising is becoming more and more attractive to local businesses which causes local niche papers like The Phoenix to find it harder to compete for advertising dollars.

The audience for the Portland Phoenix doesn't have the wide readership that more traditional newspapers do like The Portland Press Herald or Lewiston's Sun Journal and there are many alternative websites to find similar coverage.

However the publisher says all hope is not lost, hoping the eventual opening of recreational marijuana businesses could be a big boost in advertising that could bring the paper back.