Fig City™ News is a free, online community news resource founded by Amy Sangiolo, Bruce Henderson, and other resident volunteers to provide a knowledgeable, fair, trusted resource for local news and community events in Newton, Massachusetts.
- Bruce Henderson, President and Editor, has lived in Newton since 1988, writes the NewtonSTEM blog, has been active in multiple PTOs in Newton, and has chaired the Newton Community Education Commission.
- Alan Spatrick, Vice President and Reporter, has lived in Newton since 1993 and is an investment strategist advising pension funds and endowments. He previously served as Board Chair for The Coolidge Corner Theatre Foundation.
- Tamirirashe Gambiza, Treasurer and Director, is a CPA in the public accounting industry focusing on the real estate industry, including affordable housing, commercial, developers, and nonprofit organizations. He has lived in Newton since 2015 and is a trustee of the Newton Affordable Housing Trust.
- Martina Jackson, Director and Reporter, has reported on schools and politics for the Newton Times, written for SEVENTEEN Magazine, and served as Communications and Outreach Director for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs. She was formerly Vice Chair of the Newtonville Area Council.
- Jack Prior, Director and Reporter, has lived in Newton since 2003 and was active in the 2017 charter debate. Jack is a member of the National Press Photographers Association and the Boston Press Photographers Association. His past focus has been as a sports photographer. By day, he is a bioprocess engineer at a pharma company.
- Adam Bernstein, Reporter, is a founding member of NPS Elementary Families and is a Community Representative on Newton’s Design Review Committee.
Editorial Policies
Fig City News is an Aspiring Entrepreneur member of Local Independent Online News (LION) Publishers, a professional journalism association for independent news publishers. Fig City News abides by LION’s membership criteria for local content, independent ownership, digitally native publishing, ethical practices, community engagement, and financial sustainability.
Fig City News strives to ensure that all news stories are based on verifiable facts and that all subjects of our news stories are provided equitable and fair treatment and coverage. We make best efforts to confirm information in news stories before publishing. We acknowledge and make corrections as quickly as possible for any inaccuracies or errors. Please report inaccuracies and errors as soon as possible by emailing info@figcitynews.com.
All views expressed in any signed article, post, guest column (op-ed), or letter-to-the-editor on Fig City News are those of the writer and not Fig City News.
Submission Guidelines
Fig City News welcomes all in the Newton community to contribute, bring story ideas, or submit articles and photos about issues, events, organizations, or people of interest to Newton residents. We may accept original articles and photos, press releases, calendar listings, notices of events (free for nonprofits), letters to the editor, and guest columns. We may decline to publish any item submitted.
Publication decisions will be determined by the Editorial Committee. Fig City News will not publish submissions that contain:
- Libelous or slanderous material;
- Personal attacks or defamation of character, whether direct or indirect;
- Offensive language; or
- Hate speech or promotion of discrimination based on race, gender, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, or age.
Submissions must include the author’s name, street address, email, and telephone number. Only the name (and for letters, the village) of the author will be published. Submissions may be edited for grammar, clarity, and length. Any editorial changes made by Fig City News will be shared with and approved by the writer before publication.
We request that all contributors disclose any personal or business relationships relevant to the subject of their contributions, as well as any legal or political matters that could call into question their objectivity. When appropriate, articles will include an editor’s note disclosing this background.
Letters to the Editor intended for publication should be limited to 300 words and sent to letters@figcitynews.com. We will not publish form letters, mass submissions, letters promoting commercial interests, or reprints of letters intended for other parties. We may reject:
- Letters containing misinformation;
- Letters containing assumptions about others’ unexpressed thoughts or motives;
- Letters not focused on local issues, news, or events; or
- Letters from authors of recently published letters.
Sources of Funding
Fig City News, Inc. is a Massachusetts nonprofit corporation that is exempt from Federal taxes under Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3).
We receive donations from individuals, as well as grants from foundations and nonprofit organizations. In the future, we may accept sponsorships and/or advertising. We publicly acknowledge all advertisers, sponsors, and grantors, as well as all donors who give $500 or more per year and other donors who wish to be acknowledged.
We will not accept donations from government entities, political parties, elected officials, or declared candidates for elective public office. We will not accept donations from sources that, as deemed by our board of directors, present conflicts of interest with our work or compromise our independence.
Accepting financial support does not imply we endorse funding sources or their products, services, or opinions. Our news judgments are made independently – not based on or influenced by funding sources or any outside influence or cause. Funding sources do not have input on what news is covered or how it is reported, and they do not have rights to assign, review, or edit content.
Conflicts of Interest
We seek to ensure that all decisions made by Fig City News and its staff are made solely in the interest of providing high quality journalism to the community.
- Fig City News Board members, employees, and volunteer reporters/editors will disclose to the Editor any real or apparent conflict of interest they may have regarding any subject matter published or being developed by Fig City News with their involvement.
- The Editor will report – and any of the above parties may report — any such conflict of interest to the Board if it involves the Editor.
- Upon receiving such reports, the Editor (or Board, for conflicts involving the Editor) may resolve such conflicts by removing the conflicted party from involvement with the subject matter.
- The Editor will disclose any remaining conflicts of interest, as determined relevant by the Editor or Board, in Editorial Notes associated with related articles.
- Board members will report to the Board any real or apparent conflict of interest they may have regarding any Board decision and recuse themselves from influencing or voting on such decision.
- Fig City News Board members, employees, and volunteer reporters/editors will not accept from any party gifts valued at more than $100 in total in a calendar year – nor any cash or cash equivalents whatsoever – from any party having a material interest in any subject matter published or being developed by Fig City News with their involvement.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Fig City News is committed to cultivating a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion in our work environment, in the news we publish, and in our community. We demonstrate this commitment in our work and in the diversity of our board of directors and staff — paid and volunteer. We embrace differences — including age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and veteran status. These differences are vital to our mission to inform and celebrate the diversity of our community.
Why “Fig City”?
In the 1890s, the Kennedy Biscuit Works in Cambridge named its snack products for neighboring cities and towns, and in 1891 it named its Fig Newton cookie for Newton, Massachusetts. In 1991, our City hosted the 100th Anniversary celebration of the Fig Newton, featuring the Mr. Big Fig character, Mayor Mann, and representatives from both Nabisco and the California Fig Board. Nabisco has since renamed the cookie as the Newton, but we have not forgotten our history.