Iașul nostru

Iașul Nostru (Our Iași) is a newsletter-first local publication, founded in July 2021 by journalist Alex Enășescu with a grant from the Substack Local programme.

Iașul Nostru seeks to build a trustworthy, non-partisan newsroom that is devoted to strengthening the bonds that unite people in Iași, a medium-sized city in Eastern Romania, close to the borders with Moldova and Ukraine.

Their mission is to cover all of Iași through thoughtful reporting and aggregation that cuts through the noise, and helps locals understand what’s happening in their city. They do this by informing and engaging people in Iași through a weekly briefing that refocuses the news towards positive local developments, and spotlights local civic heroes and artists.

They also publish longform pieces that reflect the needs of community members at the margins — such as Ukrainian refugees and people with disabilities — as well as solution-oriented interviews with urban planning experts.

With this model, they have found that their readers come for the food and drink recommendations, but stay for the in-depth contextual coverage of local education, transportation and green space management.

Last updated: March 2024