Our Mission

Why start another news site in Hudson Valley? 

I asked myself this question many times when I began to work on this project of mine nearly a year ago. The original purpose of the project was far from what it has grown into now. I simply wanted a place to upload stories and voice my opinions in ways that established papers I was writing for would not (rightfully) allow me to do. 

However, as I have worked on this and other local papers I was reminded of when I was 12 or 13 years old, submitting op-eds to the, now defunct New Paltz Times and how empowering that felt. I remember going to the Saint Joseph Church’s annual Festa, a tradition that also has ceased to exist, and being approached by members of the community to talk to me about what I wrote in the last edition of the paper. These interactions were the start of my love for journalism and public service, and I mourned the fact that our town no longer has a voice dedicated to representing it. 

I set out to change this website from a personal blog to a news site covering the Hudson Valley, which is why its original name was called The Valley. However, I quickly realized the Hudson Valley is too large and complex of a place for one man and a few of his friends to cover, so I narrowed my scope and focused on the place I knew and loved the most. 

Why start another New Paltz Paper? 

The answer to this question is simply because we deserve it. New Paltz is a large and passionate town, and a lot goes on here. Any quick scroll of the New Paltz Community Facebook group can show you that. This town and village deserve to have a paper dedicated to them, to their people, to their issues, to their sports, to their governance. It is ridiculous that, as a community, we rely on often far away Hudson Valley papers, and the SUNY New Paltz school paper, to cover issues relating to our town. The town needs and deserves a news source of its own, dedicated solely to the issues and governance that directly impact it. This is what The New Paltz Principle aims to provide. 

The New Paltz Principle firmly rejects the notion of “if it bleeds, it leads” aiming instead to provide fair, independent reporting on the issues that are important to New Paltz residents first. We wish to simplify local governance and make political action easier to understand and engage in and will do this through legislation breakdowns, interviews with local politicians, and quick and easy to digest summaries of important government meetings.  The New Paltz Principle will seek to balance hard news with human interest stories about people in New Paltz and the surrounding communities, highlighting the work they do to better our area.  

I grew up in the Town of New Paltz, I went to high school here and spent my youth hanging out in the village. I am currently attending college at SUNY New Paltz and plan to live here after I get out. I love this place. I want to see it grow and prosper. I want it to have a voice. Thank you for joining me on this journey to give our town the recognition it deserves.  

Kyle Bredberg