For readers who want more engagement with the news, the Vineyard Gazette is launching a monthly discussion series starting in January.

Called Tuesdays in the Newsroom, the series will take place on the second Tuesday of each month inside the newsroom at the Gazette’s office in Edgartown from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Each monthly event will focus on one or more current issues. Guest speakers may be invited to address certain topics, and members of the Gazette’s news staff will be on hand to raise issues, offer context and gather ideas for future coverage.

The series will begin Tuesday, Jan. 12, with an event called Meet the Newsroom, at which Gazette editors and reporters will introduce themselves and answer questions about the newsgathering and editing process. The first event will be free and open to all. Subsequent events will be free to Gazette subscribers; nonsubscribers pay $10 for themselves and a guest, which includes drinks and light snacks.

Future events in the series will focus on specific issues in the news; topics may include such things as the state of our coastal ponds, new approaches to affordable housing, the Steamship Authority and hurricane preparedness.

Jane Seagrave, publisher of the Gazette, said the idea for Tuesdays in the Newsroom came from readers who attended focus groups in the spring.

“Readers told us the Gazette serves as a way of connecting them with the rest of the Island, and that perhaps we could do more to enhance that sense of community by providing a regular forum about issues,” she said, adding:“Tuesdays in the Newsroom is an experiment, and we expect the structure and focus of these events will change as we discover what people really want.”

The Jan. 12 event will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a reception, followed by an hour-long discussion. Light refreshments will be served.

Because of space constraints, attendance will be limited. People who want to attend are asked to register in advance at RSVP@mvgazette.com.