About The Northampton Regulator

The Regulator has been created from a simple belief: communities thrive when brilliant, mission-driven problem solvers come together across backgrounds, experiences and institutions to share ideas and build solutions.

Northampton and the Pioneer Valley are home to extraordinary thinkers - scholars, students, organizers, innovators, creators, educators and engaged residents - each with knowledge and perspectives that can meaningfully strengthen civic life. Yet too often, these perspectives exist in silos, rarely in conversation with one another.

Our purpose is to help bridge those gaps.

The Northampton Regulator is a home for thoughtful, collaborative, forward-looking writing.
We aim to:

• Elevate ideas and analysis rooted in expertise, lived experience and genuine problem-solving

• Bring together voices from the Five Colleges, community organizations, local initiatives and engaged residents

• Encourage constructive civic dialogue grounded in respect, clarity and shared purpose

• Highlight work - large and small - that improves life in Northampton and the Pioneer Valley

• Provide a platform for proposals, solutions and conversations that help our community grow stronger together

We publish essays, analysis, letters from residents, interviews, book reviews, student work and profiles of people and groups making meaningful contributions.

When we cover public leadership, it is to illuminate projects and actions that truly serve the community - not to amplify conflict or personalities.

The region is full of people doing good, thoughtful work. Our goal is to create a space where their ideas can connect, interact, inspire and educate - and help our community grow stronger and more prosperous.

…and we look forward to hearing from you - along with your ideas, your contributions and your support.

Expected Frequently Asked Questions

Why are you starting the Regulator?

Northampton deserves a publication that reflects the intelligence, integrity and civic spirit of the people who live here.

For much of its history, local media has been shaped by a narrow set of voices - from the Daily Hampshire Gazette’s origins as a political pamphlet in the 1780s, created by Joseph C. Butler to undermine Daniel Shays and the “Regulators,” to its more recent reputation for slow response times, limited community participation and an editorial focus that often overlooks local scholars, innovators and thought leaders.

We respect our existing local papers. The Shoestring provides important reporting, but it operates as a small, closed publication whose content is produced almost entirely by a handful of recurring contributors and does not include unsolicited community submissions. By contrast, The Northampton Regulator is designed around a broad, open model - more in the tradition of 19th-century journals like The Atlantic or Harper’s, which published work from leading thinkers alongside emerging voices. The Gazette has a long history but frequently rejects or significantly delays timely community contributions and its editorial focus often prioritizes features over in-depth civic dialogue.

The Northampton Regulator was founded to fill the gap:
an open, serious, community-rooted publication committed to elevating diverse ideas, informed analysis and constructive civic work.

What is the mission?

Our mission is to bring together scholars, students, innovators, organizers and residents to share ideas, propose solutions, highlight meaningful work and strengthen civic life in Northampton and the Pioneer Valley. We publish with dignity, clarity, respect and a commitment to the public good.

Who are we?

For now, the founding team is keeping a low public profile while we build the organization responsibly. We are a small group drawn from academia, nonprofits, entrepreneurship, community leadership and journalism. Over the next several months, we will be inviting additional contributors, researchers, editors and advisors - especially from the Five Colleges, local think-tanks and leading non-profits and NGOs.

What is your leadership structure?

We are currently a small core team collaborating closely. As the publication grows, The Northampton Regulator will move toward a committee-based governance structure designed to protect editorial independence and ensure diverse representation.

We are in the early stages of pursuing 501(c)(3) nonprofit status and trademark protection. The project is currently self-funded; we will pursue grants and community support once our foundation is fully established.

What inspired the Regulator?

Our inspiration comes from several traditions:

• the intellectually rich civic culture of 19th-century New England

• mission-driven publications such as The Woman’s Journal

• the spirited, idea-driven salons and gatherings of groups like the Boston Radical Club

• the clear, investigative, public-interest reporting of publications such as Commonwealth Beacon

• the rigor of scholarly journals

• the convening power of idea-incubation spaces and collaborative civic work

We aim to bring these traditions together: a publication committed not only to reporting, but to helping identify problems, incubate new ideas, highlight overlooked issues and elevate solutions.

Are you a political organization?

No. We are independent and nonpartisan. We do not work on behalf of any campaign, faction or political figure.

Will you publish criticism or investigative work?

Yes - when it is fact-based, research-driven and conducted with the aim of strengthening the community rather than scoring points. We do not publish character attacks, gossip or performative conflict.

Do you accept outside submissions?

Yes. We welcome: essays, analysis, community letters, student work, interviews, research summaries, profiles, book reviews and proposals for civic improvement.

Our goal is to provide an open platform with editorial standards that promote thoughtful public contribution.

When will the Regulator launch?

We expect to begin publishing in February 2026, with rolling releases throughout the spring.

How can I get involved?

Use the contact form on this site. Tell us how you’d like to contribute - writing, research, editing, student journalism, photography or simply sharing an idea. We welcome collaborators from the Five Colleges, local organizations, community groups and individual residents.