Northfield.org is a public service community journalism entity for Northfield, Minnesota, and the surrounding area since 1994. Northfield Citizens Online is our 501c3 non-profit. (See more about NCO in footnote #1.) Our purpose is to help citizens become better informed about local issues and more engaged with one another in ways that strengthen the civic fabric of the community.
Our target audience demographic spans a broad age group, from high school students to retirees. It encompasses Northfield's economic diversity: individuals from the working class, professionals and entrepreneurs, academics, and educators. It also includes Northfield's cultural mosaic, with a significant Hispanic population and LGBTQ+ community.
We provide an online platform for local citizens and community leaders to contribute local news, information, and media that provide various perspectives on life in Northfield. Anyone from the area can contribute original stories, articles, and opinions. Content can be text, audio, video, photos, or any combination. We curate the submissions to ensure relevance and quality. We offer editorial assistance to contributors. Contact us if you’re interested.
We also aim to provide a dynamic online community of engaging, interesting, and civil conversations. We have many years of previous experience hosting online discussions via the NCO Web Cafe, the Northfield Issues Email List, and the Locally Grown Northfield blog (where over 45,000 comments are still viewable).
We moderate all online discussions to ensure they meet our unusually strict Civility Rules. And yes, we actually enforce the rules. This helps to establish a culture that increases the likelihood of more participation from a wider range of people.
Why subscribe to Northfield.org?
Free subscribers don’t have to worry about missing anything. Every new post goes directly to either your email inbox, Substack inbox, or both. Free subscribers also can:
Use the smartphone app
Participate in comment threads, live chats, and online polls
Submit content for posts (see above). Contact us!
Paid subscribers get everything free subscribers get, plus you get invited to online and face-to-face social events. And you can opt for a free northfield.org email address. Your paid subscription gives you the satisfaction of knowing that you’re financially supporting an organization that is helping local citizens become better informed about local issues and more engaged with one another in ways that strengthen the civic fabric of the community. And since Northfield Citizens Online (NCO) is a 501c3 non-profit, your subscription fees and donations are tax-deductible.
We have a limited number of Paid Subscriptions that we can comp for anyone who feels they can’t afford one. Contact us!
To find out more about Substack, the company that provides the technical platform for Northdfield.org, visit Substack.com.
