Table of Contents
When we launched the Independent, we made a deliberate choice to avoid clutter. We wanted simple advertising, a clean reading experience and a site built around readers first — not just their reading experience but also their support. In recent days, we’ve made a meaningful round of improvements that bring the website closer to that original vision.
You’ll notice some of the changes right away. The homepage is now organized into clearer sections. The navigation stays with you as you scroll. And on the right side, next to our feature story, we’ve renamed “Latest” to “What’s News” because that better describes what it is: a running report of what’s happening in Marblehead. We’ve also added a larger, easier-to-find search bar in the upper left corner, so you can look up past reporting, names and topics without hunting.
You’ll also see three new blocks below our homepage centerpiece story, better reflecting how a local newspaper actually works:
- INDEPENDENT NOTEBOOK is for shorter community and local items, quick updates and town texture that doesn’t always fit a full “news story” format.
- PUBLIC SQUARE is where letters, guest columns and opinion live, clearly separated from news reporting.
- EDITOR'S PICKS is a small, curated set of stories we don’t want you to miss, especially if you don’t check the site every day.
We’ve also adopted "First in Revolution" in the masthead area. The phrase – as you already probably know – comes from "Marblehead Forever," the town anthem and it feels like exactly the right mantra for a local newspaper. It’s rooted in Marblehead’s history but it’s not just nostalgic. It points to civic seriousness, independence of spirit and a community that expects its institutions to stand for something. That’s what good local journalism should do too. Be grounded in place, respectful of tradition and unafraid to ask questions.
One more reminder, because it matters: we keep a Newsletter Archive with every past edition in one place. In newsrooms, the file room where old papers and clippings live is called the “morgue.” We contemplated naming our digital newsletter archive that for a hot minute. We didn’t. But the point stands. If you missed something, want to revisit an issue or just want to see what we’ve been covering over time, it’s all there. Click the navigation bar’s ARCHIVE tab.
Just as important, we’ve done quieter work under the hood to reinforce the site’s bones. In the beginning, we were building the airplane while taking off and some of those early choices were more improvised than elegant.
This latest round of work was about making the site more stable, more coherent and more durable without losing the look and feel readers already know. The goal was not to reinvent the Independent. It was to make it sturdier, clearer and more intentional.
Cheers,
Will
