The Portland Daily Sun, a new free daily newspaper, debuted this morning in the city of Portland and online at www.theportlanddailysun.com. I picked up a copy in one of their new maroon boxes just off monument square.

Al Diamon is wondering what the print edition is like, so here are some details from the first issue: It's 16 pages, about 60% local reporting and 40% syndicated (mostly AP) content. They list a circulation of 3,000 and the print version does include bylines (except for the article on the winter carnival). Click the image to the left for a larger version of the Daily Sun's front page. (This scan is black and white - the actual paper is in color).

The paper's editor, Curtis Robinson, assures readers in his introductory column that the publication won't be ideologically-driven. "We just want to write and photograph interesting stories that matter," writes Robinson.

He also pledges to maintain an open forum for various political viewpoints:

"We intend to be wide open to the array of voices that make Portland, well, Portland. But our news coverage will, we hope, be as unbiased as we can be without wringing the last vestige of humanity from our writing. I suspect many of you know what that means, and we’re confident you will help correct us if we stray from straightforward communication."

It appears that two reporters, David Carkhuff and Casey Conley, will provide the bulk of the paper's regular content. Robinson wrote one article in today's edition and invites freelancers to submit samples for consideration.