To increase understanding and participation in Lexington, Massachusetts through local, community journalism.
Local news brings communities together, drives participation in civic life and helps build the informed citizenry required for a thriving democracy.
Started by Lexington residents in 2021, the Lexington Observer is a new nonprofit digital newsroom devoted to reporting on issues that matter most to people in our diverse community, including education, culture, housing, economy, and environmental issues.
Our goal is to be a part of civic life in Lexington, joining community organizations including LexMedia.org and publications like the Lexington Times and the Lexington Minuteman. We hope to increase both understanding and participation in our community.
We’ve already covered:
- What’s at stake in Lexington’s gas-powered leaf blower referendum;
- Extensive coverage of Town Meeting, including in-depth reporting on the multi-family housing plan, a solar canopy for the new police station, the synthetic turf renovation for Lincoln Field, and more;
- The debate over Serious Talks, the diversity and inclusion curriculum in Lexington’s elementary schools;
- The proposed private jet expansion at Hanscom Field;
- Stories about life in Lexington that help us get to know our neighbors, including this story about Lexington residents helping refugees from Ukraine settle in the area, and this one, about a local family remodeling their mid-century modern home to accommodate their 13-year-old son, who will soon need a wheelchair.
We’ve got lots more coverage planned. But we need your help to keep going.
Beyond our one paid staffer, we are a mostly volunteer crew with experience in newsrooms, running non-profits, and living and working in Lexington. We’re raising money to hire—at a minimum—one more full-time reporter, and hopefully more. We’ll manage and direct LexObserver with transparency so the community can see how decisions are made.
Join us—and don’t forget all of your contributions are tax-deductible.
The Lexington Observer is an accredited member of the Institute for Nonprofit News and Local Independent Online News Publishers (a professional journalism association for independent news publishers). We are also a member of the MetroWest News Alliance.