Welcome to Brookline.News!
It is my honor to serve as founding editor.
As a (for now) one-person newsroom, it’s been a baptism by fire: I have had to quickly learn about the inner workings of Brookline town government, while meeting for the first time many of the people who are part of our local democracy, all while covering some of the most complex debt exclusion and Proposition 2 ½ override questions in recent memory.
I took this position because I was excited about the opportunity to rethink local news. My first six weeks on the job have reinforced my feeling that I’m in the right place. I’ve enjoyed the spirited debates that have already ensued from my reporting, and I can tell that people in Brookline have been missing local news.
What this website means
The website you see today is the product of months of research, fundraising, tech development and community building by a group of journalists, businesspeople and engaged Brookline citizens who wanted to do something about what they saw as a perilous gap in local news.
We’ve been sending out our stories by email newsletter since early April. Today we move to the next step in providing coverage not only of town government, but also about the people, organizations, and events that make this town special.
What can you expect from Brookline.News?
We will update this site several times a week with stories that highlight what’s important in Brookline, across a wide range of subjects. We’ll also keep in touch via our email newsletter and across our various social media accounts.
We’ll always aim to be fair, accurate, thorough and timely in our reporting. We’ll look to explain what’s going on in town in a way that goes beyond headlines and explores community trends.
How will I decide what to cover in the days and months ahead?
As a journalist, I’m trained to stop by government offices, attend meetings, call regular contacts on the phone, and look at what other news outlets might be covering that could have an interesting local angle. I’m already getting tips and press releases from all across town, which I can’t do without.
My job is also to be visible, accessible and trustworthy.
My door will always be open to feedback and ideas about our work. You should feel free to contact me via our contact page.
What we ask of you
Read our stories. Share them with your friends and loved ones. Become part of our online community by contributing a letter to the editor or news tip. And if you’re able, please consider donating to support our efforts.
As gifts from donors investing in local journalism grow, so, too, will the variety and number of stories we can cover.
Today’s website launch is the start of what I hope will be a long, productive journey. Thank you for being with us.
Sam Mintz
Editor, Brookline.News