The Scope Podcast

Lush plants, bright walls and booming Spanish pop music welcome customers to Ink Source, a new tattoo shop in Roxbury — but the parlor's warm ambience isn't the only feature setting it apart. Jordan Ziese and Sofia Baah sat down with Ink Source co-owners Estefani Benitez and Daniel Sanchez to talk about their culturally-informed approach to tattooing. This episode was produced by Jordan Ziese and...

The King Tide rolled into Boston on Saturday, Oct. 19, flushing harbor water through the concrete seawall at Long Wharf, where climate activists gathered to protest the state legislature’s inaction on a climate bill.  King Tides are created by the moon’s orbit and have been happening for millenia. But rising sea levels exacerbate flooding during these tidal events, and experts say that since the s...

For years, pole dancing has been associated with stripping. Yet in Boston and across the country, fitness studios are bringing this radical art form into the mainstream, drawing dancers in search of a good workout and a sense of belonging. This episode was produced by Nora Holland and edited by Rebeca Pereira. Want to keep up with the latest community news in Boston? Follow us online and on social...

Jazz has long been a male dominated genre, embracing female vocalists but rarely female bassists, drummers, and other musicians. In Sudbury, an all-female ensemble, Women in World Jazz, is playing a different tune — one of progress and inclusion.   This episode was produced by Mirjana Hutnik and edited by Rebeca Pereira.  Want to keep up with the latest community news in Boston? Follow us online a...

Even northerners know how to get down like the folks in Louisiana! On the Saturday before Mardi Gras, Cambridge, Massachusetts’ Regattabar hosted a jazz-centered jubilee in the spirit of the land of jambalaya.  Elana Lane transports us there, introducing us to Josiah Reibstein’s band and Robbie Pate’s vocals. This episode was produced by Elana Lane and edited by Rebeca Pereira.  Want to keep up wi...

Disability rights activists are engaging in a renewed effort to ban an aversive therapy — electric shock therapy — that, despite being condemned as torture by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, is still practiced at the Judge Rotenberg Center in Canton, Massachusetts. The center is a day and residential school for students with intellectual disabilities.  Contributing writer Darin Z...

Boston’s public parks are like open-air studios for the city’s artists and street performers. At the Boston Commons, Nick Shea attracts crowds with his one-dollar portraits and simple tools: a stack of index cards and a Sharpie marker.  One Sunday afternoon in February, Mirjana Hutnik sat beside Shea to watch the artist at work and survey his customers.  This episode was produced by Mirjana Hutnik...

Near Dover, MA, reeds grow out of sandbars along the Charles River where sediment has built up over time. Wetland vegetation offers a diverse habitat for microorganisms to thrive and pathways for nutrients like nitrogen, which in excess quantities can pollute the water, to exit the river.  Yet in the Charles’s lower basin, an area that extends from the Watertown Dam to Boston Harbor, that natural...

It’s the beginning of a brand new Lunar New Year. Clara McCourt takes us inside how the holiday means more to one Boston business, Mei Mei Dumplings in South Boston, than meets the eye. Join Clara as she steps inside Mei Mei, joining Jessica Coughlin, Caitlin Yam, Cal Callahan, and owner Irene Li as they explore the dumpling making process and celebrate Mei Mei’s second Lunar New Year.  This episo...

This month, Massachusetts could become the 12th U.S. state to implement programs supporting doula work, in an effort to fight increasing maternal mortality rates. Reporter Colette Pollauf joins us on the Scope Podcast to discuss her article “Massachusetts introduces programs to support doula work” and doulas’ important contributions to maternal healthcare in the Commonwealth. Pollauf won a Best of...

Juan Perez is a man of many titles. You could classify him as a former chef at Fenway Park, an instructor of fine arts, an immigrant, a painter, or figure drawing professional, but that would only scratch the surface of who Juan is. His current role is artist-in-residence at the Fenway CDC's Newcastle Studio — a position that has also earned him the title of de facto community leader of his ci...

Hi, we’re The Scope: Boston. It’s nice to meet you. The Scope is a digital community news magazine covering the Greater Boston area. We primarily publish stories of hope, justice and resilience, working to connect communities, inform civic life and amplify voices that are often overlooked or mischaracterized by traditional media. Our work is available for free on a variety of digital platforms and...