There is an effort afoot to launch a new, weekly, non-partisan, non-profit newspaper in Acton. This effort began with members of the Acton-area League of Women Voters (AALWV), who participated in a statewide LWV project on the decline of local journalism. They learned of research documenting that when local journalism declines or disappears in an area, civic engagement tends to decline, government tends to become less transparent and accountable, and the likelihood of corruption increases. The AALWV organized a well-attended community workshop at Town Hall on February 4, where we heard from leaders of newspapers in surrounding towns and began the process of brainstorming what a dream newspaper for Acton should look like. A follow up meeting on March 2 attracted a core group of Acton residents with diverse backgrounds and skill sets, eager to plunge in and make the new paper a reality.
That group has been meeting regularly and working on multiple fronts simultaneously. One subgroup is exploring bylaws and business plan, another is working on fundraising, another on technical underpinnings, and others are exploring various local partners. Although the LWV kickstarted the effort, the ongoing effort is independent of the League, and is working towards becoming a 501(c)3 non-profit. If you would like to be kept informed about the progress of this effort, or would like to volunteer to help, please email clerk@actonnewspaper.org A wide variety of skills are needed.
In the meantime, the newspaper team has begun to practice generating Acton-relevant content for publication in the Acton-Maynard edition of Action Unlimited. That’s what you are reading now. Thanks very much to Carol Toomey, publisher of The Action Unlimited, for welcoming our contributions and providing a temporary home for this fledgling effort.
To spread the word about this initiative, to build enthusiasm, and to get a better sense of what people would like to see in an Acton paper, the newspaper team is setting up a series of “affinity group” meetings with various groups and constituencies who share a common interest that they would like to see reflected in the new paper. These meetings are a chance for townspeople to learn about the vision and status of the new paper, and contribute their ideas about what should be in the paper. So far, there have been two such meetings: one at the Senior Center, and one with Climate and Housing Justice for Acton. A third meeting, focusing on coverage of nature and the environment, is scheduled for Saturday, May 20, 10:30-11:30, at the Acton Memorial Library 2nd floor conference room.
The team is offering affinity group meetings in two formats: free-standing, hour-long discussions around a theme or topic, or 20-30 minute discussions inserted into the agenda of an organization’s regularly scheduled meeting. The meetings can be by zoom, or in person. If you have an idea for a theme or topic for such a meeting, or you would like to have such a discussion in an Acton-based organization that you belong to, please reach out to the newspaper affinity group team, by emailing kimkastens@chayes.org
