Springfield…and the World…

Over nearly eight years, Western Mass Politics & Insight has grown from a dorm-room project to a source for politics in Greater Springfield. That growth came largely as a labor love, but as Election 2014 promises to be one of the biggest state election cycles for the Pioneer Valley, the costs are adding up quickly.

For those of you who do not know me, my name is Matt Szafranski, your editor-in-chief since WMassP&I’s founding in a Boston dorm room. I started this blog as a way to pass time and pontificate on what was going on 90 miles back in my hometown.  But as I delved deeper and deeper into the politics of Springfield and the region, I found that the intrigue and drama of local politics are no less interesting and no less worthy of coverage than what is happening in Boston or Washington.  Upon returning to the Pioneer Valley in  2010, I was able to expand coverage considerably and write about what was happening in City Hall and the other halls of power.

That expansion included candidate guides for local municipal and state elections; local perspectives of state and national issues; interviews and profiles of politicians, officials and power brokers in small towns and high office. That work has been linked to by statewide campaigns, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee and the State House New Service's Massterlist in addition to being shared in innumerable tweets and Facebook statuses from the Bay State's top politicians, journalists and influencers.

There are very few resources devoted to the granular details of municipal politics & policy and state law and elections. When questions arose about how the Quinn Bill and residency laws were affected by collective bargaining, WMassP&I broke down state labor relations laws for readers. At the height of the biomass debate in Springfield, WMassP&I was there with detailed accounts of both the Council and Zoning Board of Appeals hearings. In the midst of an historic election in Westfield, WMassP&I dug into campaign finance reports, investigated the candidates and then explained how the result came to pass. In Springfield's first municipal elections without a mayoral race, WMassP&I interviewed almost all Council candidates in competitive races. As a local state Senate race found itself before a state body, WMassP&I described the history of ballot challenges.

This campaign is about providing that coverage for this Election Cycle while staying on top of local matters. This cycle is particularly busy from Governor all the way down to local state rep races. Unfortunately, covering such a diverse political season—without missing a beat on what is happening in City Hall and elsewhere in the City of Homes—requires greater investment than in past years. Together your contributions will not only make WMassP&I stronger, but it will also make our local democracy stronger with the news, commentary, analysis and, yes, delightful snark that a great city and region like ours deserves.

What the Investment Brings

The Goal is $5,000, which should get us through the primary (even more will ensure we make it to Election Day). That amount is a conservative estimate of our needs through this cycle to cover operating expenses and to make technical improvements. Among the things your contribution will fund:

• Gas and other traveling expenses to reach events and stories around the Pioneer Valley, the commonwealth and beyond in order to get the full scoop on both statewide and local politics.
• Operating costs including domain registration and other costs related to staying online.
• New photographic equipment and improvements to the look and feel of WMassP&I’s home page.
• Perhaps the most important cost: time. Blogging about a region as rich and vast as the Pioneer Valley requires a lot of time and putting the proper amount of time to work, is itself expensive. To be blunt, it is not possible to produce the same content with such a busy cycle at a loss as has been the case up to now.

The last one, time, is the biggie. WMassP&I is essentially just me, your editor-in-chief. There are lots of folks who help out along the way with advice, technical support, and more, but the bulk of the site maintenance, reporting, writing and, now fundraising, falls on just one person. That necessitates huge investment of time and energy to make WMassP&I possible.

In exchange for your investment, the biggest reward is continuing coverage of the city and region. However, we are also excited to recognize on our site, those who make larger contributions (over $100) to our goal (please, no direct contributions from candidates who will be on a Massachusetts ballot in 2014).

The Impact

This campaign comes not only at a time of a great Election, but at a crossroads. Maintaining WMassP&I is an increasingly difficult endeavor anyway, one that many feel benefits the region. If this campaign succeeds, we will be able to:

• continue our tradition of compiling an election guide for all competitive races, something no other outlet does as extensively.
• provide an alternative view on the politics and policy of Springfield and the Pioneer Valley.
• explore relationships with other institutions to ensure WMassP&I will be around for years to come.

This is a difficult time for journalistic endeavors like ours. Much of the money and focus is going toward national outlets rather than local ones like ours. Raising the money we do need is a daunting prospect and one that requires a lot of time and energy, which in a perfect world, we would like to see put into our writing.

However, those who know WMassP&I know we are never afraid of a challenge. This may be one of our biggest yet. However, our greatest asset is you, our readers. It is your support that has encouraged us to endure and expand our focus. It is your sharing of articles with friends, family and colleagues that has widened our audience. And now it is your help that will keep us strong.

Other Ways You Can Help

Not everyone can contribute or give as much as they would like. That’s okay! You can still be a friend to WMassP&I:

• Share our stories on social media and emails. Tell friends about us. Expanding our audience is what gives us the credibility to ask the tough question and get the attention of the people in power.
• Stay in contact. Whether you are a source, a reader, a politician or other influencer, the only way we can improve and grow is to hear from you. Your emails, tweets, comments and not idle banter. They are our roadmap to providing the best material possible!

Learn more about WMassP&I here.  Thank you!

Sincerely,

Matthew Szafranski

Editor-in-Chief, Western Mass Politics & Insight