Jeffrey Pickette, Patch Staff

Jeffrey graduated from Brandeis University in Waltham in May of 2010.  At Brandeis, Jeffrey covered the Brandeis athletic teams for the school's paper, The Justice, and was a part of the basketball broadcast team for the school's radio station, WBRS.  He was an intern at Kraft Sports Productions, the in-house Production company of the New England Patriots and helped sportswriter Peter May conduct research for his book about the Celtics' 2007-2008 championship season.  During the last two years of college, he was also a staff writer for the Canton Citizen newspaper. 

Jeffrey grew up in Stoughton, going to the South Elementary School and the O'Donnell Middle School before graduating from Stoughton High in 2006.  At Stoughton High he was editor-in-chief of the SHS Knight during his senior year.   As a senior, he was also named the first "Mr. SHS," the winner of an all-male pageant for the senior class.  No one's sure why he won—maybe it was because the judging panel was made up of some of his favorite teachers.  However, he'd like to think it was because of his charm and good looks. 

Jeffrey is an avid Boston sports fan.  Patriots come first, but Red Sox and Celtics are right behind.  Favorite TV shows include Family Guy, Law and Order: SVU, The Middle, Modern Family, Big Bang Theory, and yes, even Cougar Town.    

Your Beliefs

At Patch, we promise always to report the facts as objectively as possible and otherwise adhere to the principles of good journalism. However, we also acknowledge that true impartiality is impossible because human beings have beliefs. So in the spirit of simple honesty, our policy is to encourage our editors to reveal their beliefs to the extent they feel comfortable. This disclosure is not a license for you to inject your beliefs into stories or to dictate coverage according to them. In fact, the intent is the opposite: we hope that the knowledge that your beliefs are on the record will cause you to be ever mindful to write, report and edit in a fair, balanced way. And if you ever see evidence that we failed in this mission, please let us know.

Politics

Like a large number of Massachusetts voters, I am unenrolled.  I consider myself a political moderate.  This may be like wishing for world peace, but government should be accountable, efficient and fiscally responsible, while still providing essential services at affordable costs to the taxpayer.  I believe in a balanced form of government, where no one party has a super-majority.

I like to keep an open-mind and hear both sides of an issue.  From a journalistic standpoint, I don't let my political beliefs get in the way of reporting. 

Religion

I am Jewish.

Local Hot-Button Issues

Like many towns in this area of the state, 40B Affordable Housing developments and the proposed South Coast Rail line to New Bedford and Fall River are hot-button issues.  The teacher union's vote of no confidence in the current Superintendent of Schools' and the contract negotiations of the teachers' union and other town unions are ongoing storylines to follow.