About Us…
Who We Are:
Western Massachusetts Politics & Insight is a Springfield-based political blog committed to providing original reporting and sharp insight into the politics and civic life of Springfield, Massachusetts and broader Western Mass region. To promote the habits of a healthy and successful society, which requires an informed citizenry, but also a thoughtful one, we bring to our readers news, thoughts and perspectives on a wide range of civic and political stories from across the region, the commonwealth and the globe. Our unofficial motto, “Springfield…and the World,” speaks to this effort.
WMP&I was founded in 2006 amid political upheavals from Springfield to Capitol Hill. The Finance Control Board had taken over city’s fiscal ship, Deval Patrick upset an establishment Democrat and change in control of Congress set the stage for region’s congressmen to ascend to some of the highest roles in the House of Representatives. In that time, however, media has atrophied, especially in the Springfield area, and WMP&I turned away from extemporaneous commentary and toward more news and analysis of city, regional, state, national and global issues. That takes many forms from covering statewide races to tying national trends to stories in communities from Holyoke to Northampton to Longmeadow.
Where our resources have permitted, we bring the story directly to you. Where stories have been beyond our reach, we have turned to the Internet to connect our readers to changes, upheavals and some more prosaic happenings across the country and planet. Together, this has connected our readers to critical facts, context and analyses whether the story brings us–either physically or digitally–to the battlefield of a congressional race; a famous Senate candidate’s rally for a Holyoke mayoral candidate; Springfield City Council meetings; the battle for labor rights in New England media institutions; or debates and bills in Washington, Boston, and cities throughout the 413.