UPDATED Sept. 20: YourArlington began as an experiment in community journalism dedicated to reporting news about Arlington, Mass., and the Arlington-related views of its residents. That experiment continues, but it is not unique -- it is part of a nationwide movement once called "citizen journalism."
The phrase gained currency through We the Media, a 2004 book by Arizona State University professor Dan Gillmor. This kind of journalism encourages members of a community to write about that community; the writing may be reporting, or it may be opinion.
YourArlington Site policies
Bob Sprague, an Arlington resident since 1989, is the founder and was the editor until July 1, 2023, when Judith Pfeffer took over. Read the announcement here >>
Sprague is a member of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce.
The site is a member of LION Publishers, which stands for Local Independent Online News Publishers, and also a member of the Institute for Nonprofit News.
On Dec. 8, 2021, the site announced a significant change: It had become a nonprofit organization, recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) as eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Accordingly, YourArlington no longer seeks advertising but instead encourages public support through individual donations, underwriting and grants. YourArlington controls what it publishes and remains independent of those providing donations.
Donate here >>
A board now guides the site, but it exercises no editorial control.
Its voting members are Bob Sprague, president and chair; Annie LaCourt, treasurer; Kim Haase, secretary; Susan Webber, in charge of fund-raising; and Jim Concannon and Susan Stamps, members at large.
Several people provide advice to the board. They are Marjorie Howard, longtime freelancer Susan Gilbert, editor Judith Pfeffer, David Whitford, Steve Morgan, Joseph Curro Jr., Clarissa Rowe, Barbara Thornton, Rose Udics, Lisa Pedulla, Eric Segal, Jim Gomes, Susan Ryan-Vollmar, Edward Blundell, Christopher Wilbur, Adam MacNeill, Larry Slotnick and Frederick Kalil, the website's restaurant reviewer.
Fund-raising subcommittee: Webber is the chair of the group. Members are Blundell, Concannon, LaCourt, MacNeill, Pedulla, Rowe, Slotnick, Stamps and Ted Peluso.
Mission
"YourArlington is a local news organization that publishes facts and opinions about Arlington, Mass. We aspire to the highest journalistic standards of accuracy, impartiality and fairness. Our aim is to bolster an engaged citizenry and so strengthen our community and democracy."
An interview with Sprague conducted by James Milan of ACMi was published Jan. 20, 2021:
The website encourages factual reporting, honest opinion and overall fair play.
YourArlington believes that the public has a right to know the sources of information. Anonymous sources may be used by writers in rare cases, but when readers post to this site, the public should know their full names.
Reach the editor at
Financial information
Find information about YourArlington's Form 990 for tax year 2021 by searching here >> Enter the organization name and state; the legally available data comes up.
When YourArlington files taxes for tax year 2022, its accountant again expects to use Form 990-N.
Donors: YourArlington plans to list all donors. In the meantime, the site reports that Susan Gilbert of Arlington donated $10,000 to the site in 2022. She is a part-time freelance writer for the site.
Credits
Writers, some serving since 2014, most of whom have received pay for their services:
Susan Gilbert reports about the Select Board, the arts and provides occasional features.
Judith Pfeffer reports about public schools and health issues and is the website's editor.
Tony Moschetto, Alex Svenson and Jake Bentzinger are freelance general-assignment reporters.
Frederick Kalil writes restaurant reviews.
Brynn O'Connor is assistant to the editor, splitting her time between editing and reporting.
Kim Haase volunteers for occasional editing.
Emily Piper-Vallillo has reported about the Select Board and related topics and since mid-2023 has been writing for WBUR. She hopes to return.
Cayla Kwok was the Arlington High School intern for spring 2023, succeeding Isla Jamieson, who was intern for fall 2022. High-school interns serve as unpaid volunteers on a very part time basis.
Marjorie Howard, a former reporter for the Boston Herald and Sprague's wife, provides people features and is not paid.
Previous paid reporters were Renee Abbott and Melanie Gilbert of Arlington, both of whom covered the housing authority, as well as these student reporters -- Matty Wasserman, Northeastern University student; Katie Mogg, Northeastern student (now at the Wall Street Journal); Julia Preszler, Northeastern student; Eileen O'Grady, Northeastern graduate student who now works at the Concord, N.H., Monitor; Emerson College graduate student Jingfei Cui; and Jo Anne Preston of Arlington, who provided features.
Some former YourArlington reporters have gone on to work at The Boston Globe and the Lowell Sun. They include:
Rebecca Braun, freelance general-assignment reporter.
Aileen Maroney, a freelance feature writer.
Susie Goldman, a freelance feature writer.
Jane Dornbusch, a restaurant reviewer.
Earlier in YourArlington's history, Linda and Uri Guttman, as well as Lori Uhland, were paid restaurant reviewers.
Scott Samenfeld helped with site technology from 2006 to December 2022; Karen Gruber helped with the database. Both are Arlington residents and were paid for some work.
Arlington residents who helped this site as volunteers in the past are:
Barbara Goodman, a former Arlington School Committee member, and various interns from Arlington High School.
From 2007 to 2012, various advanced students from the classes of Kim Eudenbach, a journalism teacher at Arlington High School, contributed to the site.
Benn Craig, an Arlington photographer, has contributed photographs to the site in the past.
Audrey L. Jenkins was a contributing reporter in April and May 2012.
Colin Campbell submitted weekly police reports from November 2008 until September 2010.
Sprague's resume >>
Some site history
The site launched Dec. 10, 2006, as a dot-com on open-source Joomla!
In August 2007, Google ads were added. The ability for users to post comments was added in September 2007. A new site template was activated in October 2007.
In 2008, the OpenX online-advertising system was installed. In February 2013, the site began using Joomla's FlexBanner and Broadstreet Ads after OpenX was hacked nationwide.
On June 9, 2008, the site was incorporated by its then-publisher in Massachusetts.
In May 2009, Your View, an opinion site, was added. Since 2012, the site used has EasyBlog, which continues to be upgraded. YourArlington itself is not a blog, but the site includes a blog --Your View -- where opinion is published.
Since 2009, YourArlington has been a news partner with hyperlocal sites Cambridge Day, which is actively maintained, and InsideMedford (until 2018; the site is no longer maintained).
On Jan. 14, 2010, Boston.com added Arlington to its Your Town links and began linking to YourArlington stories. In 2015, Boston.com abandoned its hyperlocal effort, but YourArlington's connection to The Boston Globe continues.
On Sept. 8, 2012, the site upgraded to Joomla! platform 2.5, and made public a new site design.
YourArlington moved to a new host, SiteGround, in September 2013. A revamped site template, created with Artisteer, was updated Feb. 3, 2013. A mobile template was activated March 7, 2013.
A new mobile-ready, responsive-design template was activated July 7, 2014, in concert with the Joomla platform.
In June 2016, YourArlington signed a contract to have Broadstreet Ads deliver advertising content. The New Jersey company offers more than 100 options to advertising, including an automated Facebook feed. That contract ended Sept. 1, 2021.
Since 2016, the site has used AcyMailing to deliver its weekly newsletter.
In 2018, Steve Poltorzycki, an Arlington resident who writes about what he sells -- local real estate -- began his column, Real Estate Corner.
In April 2019, a new mobile-friendly template with a revamped site logo and design friom Mitzi Gilbert of MSG Design was added. After that, the site began taking donations.
On Dec. 8, 2021, the site announced that it had become a nonprofit organization and had begun making design changes, which are continuing in 2023.
In December 2022, the site raised nearly $5,000 in a year-end fund-raising campaign.
As of Feb. 15, 2023, the site's newsletter, published every Wednesday, had 700 subscribers; that number is continuing to grow now in the second half of 2023. To become a subscriber, at no cost, sign up using the form next to "Wednesday Newsletter."
Those who would like to help with the site should inquire. If others volunteer, the photos above could become smaller, and other photos may be added, making the site a better representation of "us."
This material was published in December 2006 and updated most recently Sept. 20, 2023, to update one photo and to add another.
