The Shoestring is an independent news publication in Western Massachusetts that provides in-depth and accurate journalism covering local politics, culture, and power. We aim to bring our readers the stories, perspectives, and context that no one else does, from Northampton and across the Connecticut River Valley.

Over seven years of publishing, we’ve built up an archive of reporting that digs into local budgets as the moral documents they truly are; that listens to the voices of those impacted by wage theft, union busting, overzealous policing, and unfair housing trends; that follows tips and public records wherever they lead us. And we’re just getting started.  

Your tax-deductible donation to The Shoestring is used to pay local reporters and editors to produce free and accessible public-service journalism for everyone in western Massachusetts. And we’re not just saying that we couldn’t do this work without you: the vast majority of our funding comes from readers and listeners like you chipping in what they can once a year or every month, be it $5, $10, $25 or more. Without this solid base of readers to whom we’re accountable, The Shoestring would not exist.

With income inequality continuing to worsen, The Shoestring will always keep our reporting free and accessible to all. By giving what you can, you’re securing quality local news for yourself and for members of your community who can’t afford to give anything. Thank you for giving generously, whatever that means to you.

"I was on the phone the other day with a source at a powerful local institution. I’m paraphrasing here, but they said something like: 'It used to be that you couldn’t sneeze around here without it ending up in the paper. Now, nobody is paying attention.' The same could be said of many city councils, businesses, courts, police stations and other power centers across our region. As news companies continue to slash staffing, it’s local democracy and accountability that suffer. That’s where outlets like The Shoestring can step in, covering topics like organized labor, mass incarceration and so much more."

-Dusty Christensen, investigative editor

Read more at theshoestring.org