The Acton News Initiative, Inc., is a nonprofit corporation doing business as the Acton Exchange. The mission of the Initiative is to provide relevant and accurate news to the Acton community, while reflecting diverse voices, encouraging community engagement, and enriching the lives of our readers.
The local news initiative began as a study group of the Acton-Area League of Women Voters, which led to a community forum on February 4, 2023, out of which emerged an organizing team. That early organizing team published our first article on April 30, 2023. Initially, our content was published through the Acton/Maynard edition of The Action Unlimited, which already had digital and print distribution networks. On November 1, 2023, we debuted a website of our own, and began publishing online, in a simple blog-like format, with articles in reverse chronological order and basic search and browse functions. On April 5, 2024, we switched over to our current web design, with a modern appearance, new types of content, and flexible navigation pathways.
Our journalism is guided by the principles laid out by the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN), to which we were admitted on March 15, 2024. That means we commit to publish accurate, credible reporting, driven by facts, not opinions, crafted by reporters who have deep community ties. We are non-partisan, and careful about our funding sources. As required by INN, we have thoughtful policies about conflicts of interest, donor transparency, editorial independence, and when we make a mistake we publish a correction.
At present, the Acton Exchange is an all volunteer effort, empowered by the amazing talents and commitment of Acton residents as writers, editors, technologists, community-organizers, and donors. The intent is to mature into an organization with a small paid staff and a large corps of volunteers.
To learn more:
- Read our complete Mission Statement.
- Review our Policies.
- Meet our Team.
- Learn about the history of local news in Acton and the birth and growth of the Acton Exchange.
- Subscribe to receive monthly emailed AE Updates, designed to keep volunteers, donors and other stakeholders informed about how the local news initiative is developing.
- Come to one of our monthly All-Hands Meetings, usually held on the second Wednesday of each month. Email info@actonexchange.org for details.