A community Facebook page dedicated to all things in and around Gorham has been growing, with nearly 7,800 members, and over 20,000 views in the last 30 days. So who and what is behind the creation of the Gorham ME Scoop?
The Facebook page was launched in January 2022, after creator Heather Robinson attempted to learn more about the community where she and her family had just purchased a home. Nearly nine months pregnant and relocating from New Hampshire with her partner and in-laws, Robinson was seeking recommendations for local businesses to help prepare their new home for the 3 generations about to move in. Robinson requested access to a now discontinued Gorham Facebook page; her requests were denied and she was eventually blocked from even seeing the existence of the page, despite explaining her new ties to the community.
This unexplained rejection spurred Robinson into action. She was determined to start her own page, one that would feel like a safe and inclusive platform through which members could share events, information, ideas, and even opinions, respectfully and civilly. She didn’t begin with a membership target in mind, or any idea if others would join; she simply had the goals to provide a page through which others like her own family could feel welcomed and connected to the Gorham community, and to add value to the lives of all Gorham residents.
“Gorham is an amazing community, the small town feel of people knowing and greeting one another is what I was striving for with the page,” said Robinson. She also decided to include events and businesses from neighboring communities that would be available and of interest for Gorham residents.
Gorham residents responded, signing up and inviting friends and neighbors to join the group. Now reaching nearly 2,000 posts a month, the community has had a lot to say, and share. But the growth hasn’t come without some growing pains and adjustments, according to Robinson. She noted that the initial guidelines and rules of the page were not clear enough, nor was her expectation that private citizens and marginalized populations not be targeted.
“I wanted a place where people could share and be heard, and not have their basic human right to dignity attacked,” said Robinson. “Politics will always come into play, and we need a place to have those discussions, but we must maintain a level of civil discourse, where people are not dehumanized.”
Robinson updated the guidance, clarified the frequency of business postings, and interviewed community members who volunteered to help her with the administration of the page. Three administrators, including Robinson, Sarah Godfrey and Merrilee Warholak, now dedicate roughly 10 hours a week to approving and monitoring posts and discussions.
The Gorham ME Scoop was not Robinson’s first foray into being an administrator for a popular Facebook page. She previously launched NH Eats, a page with 121,000 members, making it the largest New Hampshire page dedicated to all things food in the state.
Robinson noted there has been some criticism of the Gorham ME Scoop, specifically about administrators censoring posts and comments, or removing some members. But the data shows that 95% of posts are approved, ensuring that spam, posts without any context or benefit for Gorham residents, and posts violating the page’s rules are removed. Administrators only see 2 to 3 posts or comments a week that require additional scrutiny or removal.
Robinson also clarified that she and the other administrators reach out to those with questionable posts or com- ments and clarify the expectations or consequences, such as a “time out.” She noted that many are respectful, but there have been a few who were clearly seeking a platform that did not match the values and rules of The Gorham ME Scoop.
Robinson stands behind their approach, “When our community is divided, we are weakened. If we can come together as a community, as neighbors with different views but with kindness and common decency, we are strong.”