About

Jargon-free

Why say in 10 words what can be said in 2?

Everyone is affected by state law, and we at Front Door Politics believe everyone should understand it. We make an extra effort to break down “legalese” into more conversational language, while still explaining the complex meaning and context behind laws and — most importantly — how state government shapes daily life.

Non-advocacy

No pundits, no positions!

Front Door Politics answers the call of people craving plain information they can use to make up their own minds about issues. We’re here to report the news, not influence it.

Timely

What good is old news?

The timeliness of our reporting encourages citizen engagement with the democratic process. We don’t just report on news once it’s been made. Front Door Politics brings you advance news about upcoming and ongoing debates in time for you to have your say.

Access

Free and open to the public.

People must be informed in order to be effective citizens, so Front Door Politics is committed to helping all people engage in democracy. That’s why we use plain language and provide an Online Learning Center. It’s also why Front Door Politics is not behind a pay wall.

Our values

We’re journalists, not robots.

Front Door Politics doesn’t take sides. We do come to our reporting with core values, best summarized by the Code of Ethics of the Society of Professional Journalists. We encourage you to read the entire code here, and we’ve included this summary in the meantime:

Seek Truth and Report It: Journalists should be honest, fair and courageous in gathering, reporting and interpreting information.

Minimize Harm: Ethical journalists treat sources, subjects and colleagues as human beings deserving of respect.

Act Independently: Journalists should be free of obligation to any interest other than the public’s right to know.

Be Accountable: Journalists are accountable to their readers, listeners, viewers and each other.

Our History

A little experiment made big.

Front Door Politics was founded in December 2008 by independent journalist Hilary Niles, who wanted to explore new ways to provide general interest reporting about state government to the people of New Hampshire. And so a great big multi-media project was born.

For two years, Hilary wrote topical weekly reports during the legislative session and maintained the seeds of the Online Learning Center you see now. In Fall 2010, Front Door Politics produced a statewide voter’s guide for the mid-term elections and moved into daily, year-round reporting.

Front Door Politics continued through the 2011 legislative session, until Hilary moved to Missouri to pursue her master’s degree in journalism at the University of Missouri. Founded in 1908, the Missouri School of Journalism is the oldest in the world, and provides a great opportunity for Hilary to expand her skills and deepen her understanding of the role of journalism in society. You can find her blog here.

During the 2012 legislative session, The Wire newspaper in Portsmouth picked up the Front Door Politics mantle. As of this writing in April 2012, you can find Front Door Politics weekly in the Wire’s print edition, available free at dozens of locations around the Seacoast and online at www.wirenh.com.

We are grateful to The Wire — part of the original inspiration for Front Door Politics and its first print home — for their continued creativity, editorial guidance, and dedication to community.