Local News Day TODAY: RI News Collaborative, Conference, Press Forward at RI Foundation

by Nancy Thomas, publisher

It’s a big day for News in Rhode Island. RINewsToday announces…

Our participation in national Local News Day.

Our founding membership of RI News Collaborative, 1 of 6 local newsrooms coming together to strengthen local news.

Half-day conference, “No News is not Good News” – April 17th at Salve Regina University – news advocates are invited to attend this free event. 

RI Foundation announces Press Forward Rhode Island

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Rhode Island News Collaborative

RINewsToday is one of six independent news sites announcing the formation of the Rhode Island News Collaborative (RINC), a statewide initiative bringing together independent news organizations committed to strengthening journalism across the Ocean State. The founders came together in response to the increasingly difficult environment for local news.

RINC exists to share content, build capacity, and collaboratively address the information interests of Rhode Islanders.

The founding members of RINC are:

• Communities of Hope Civic Media
• East Greenwich News
• ecoRI News
• Ocean State Stories
• The Providence Eye
• RINewsToday

“RINC is about maximizing resources,” said Jo Detz, publisher and co-founder of ecoRI News. “By creating a hub for expanding editorial and training capacity, members can access support and infrastructure that would be out of reach individually, reducing duplication and freeing up time to focus on journalism.”

“We also want RINC to expand the reach of member outlets,” said Elizabeth McNamara, editor of East Greenwich News and RINC Membership Secretary. “Through content sharing, statewide coverage coordination, and joint distribution efforts, RINC helps members connect with new audiences and serve more Rhode Islanders with critical local news.”

“At the core of our effort is a desire to amplify the impact of local journalism,” said G. Wayne Miller, director and editor of Ocean State Stories. “Collaboration increases our ability to influence statewide conversations, demonstrate journalistic value to funders and policymakers, and elevate underreported issues through collaborative reporting.”

“Ultimately, this is about growing the next generation,” said Bernardo Motta, editor-in-chief, Communities of Hope Civic Media. “We can build inclusive pathways for students, freelancers, and emerging journalists with shared training, mentorship, and internship programs that support a more diverse and sustainable future for Rhode Island journalism.”

Debbie Schimberg, publisher and founder of the The Providence Eye, added, “RINC is such an exciting initiative, bringing together community-focused journalism from all over Rhode Island to make sure all residents have access to local news. We need trustworthy local news now more than ever.”

“As small as Rhode Island can seem – and is – we are fortunate to have a robust news environment, and when organizations collaborate and share resources, it strengthens all of us, amplifies our voice, and ultimately benefits all the communities we serve,” said Nancy Thomas, publisher of RINewsToday.

The Rhode Island News Collaborative has an open membership model, meaning other independent news organizations are invited to join. Members benefit from:

• content-sharing and joint editorial projects, allowing outlets to expand content offerings without hiring additional staff;
• collaborating on training, internships, and community engagement;
• joint fundraising efforts and access to pooled resources; and
• a stronger voice in shaping the future of Rhode Island’s news ecosystem.

Membership is open to news organizations that: 

1. Serve a Rhode Island audience

2. Produce and publish original journalism

3. Commit to the SPJ Code of Ethics

4. Agree to contribute content and participate in collaborative efforts as capacity allows

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No News is Bad News: The Future of Local News in Rhode Island

The Rhode Island News Collaborative is hosting a half-day conference, “No News is Bad News: The Future of Local News in Rhode Island” on Friday, April 17, 2026 at Salve Regina University’s Pell Center for International Relations in Newport, RI.

It will feature panel discussions and keynote presentations with several of the state’s leading news people from TV, print, online and other media outlets.

Here is the agenda:

Local news is the lifeblood of democracy, but the business model that has long sustained local news is under tremendous strain.  Please join several of the state’s leading news people from TV, print, online and other media outlets for a half-day conference on the future of local news.

No News is Bad News: The Future of Local News in RI

9:00 AM to 12:45 PM | Friday, April 17, 2026

The Pell Center at Salve Regina University – 518 Bellevue Avenue – Newport, RI

First Panel Discussion:

• Filling Coverage Gaps: Collaboration and the end of “The Scoop”?

Moderator: Bernardo H. Motta, Communities of Hope Civic Media, Roger Williams University

Lylah Alphonse, Editor, Globe RI

Joanna Detz, Co-founder and Publisher, ecoRI News

Elizabeth McNamara, Founder and Editor, East Greenwich News

G. Wayne Miller, Founder and Director, Ocean State Stories, Salve Regina University

Nancy Thomas, Founder and Publisher, RINewsToday

 

Second Panel Discussion:

• Challenges and Opportunities: What News Media Looks Like Now

Moderator:  Jim Ludes, Pell Center, Salve Regina University 

Joy Fox, Publisher, Beacon Media RI

Bill Bartholomew, Independent ​​Journalist, Media Producer, Musician, Bartholomewtown Podcast

Eli Sherman, Investigative Reporter, WPRI

Debbie Schimberg, Publisher and Founder, Providence Eye

Lynne Sullivan, Regional Executive Editor, Providence Journal

 

Keynote presentations:

• Elizabeth Hansen Shapiro, Co-Founder and CEO, National Trust for Local News
• David Cicilline, President and CEO, Rhode Island Foundation. Press Forward RI

Members of the public are welcome to attend. Register HERE

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Press Forward Rhode Island unveils priorities that will drive grantmaking to support local journalism

Press Forward Rhode Island today rolled out its grantmaking strategy for strengthening local news and helping Rhode Island communities stay informed, connected and engaged.

Press Forward Rhode Island is a chapter of the national Press Forward network of funders working to expand resources for local news, and a collaborative effort of the Rhode Island Foundation and the van Beuren Charitable Foundation. 

Research and community engagement, including focus groups with local journalists, interviews with more than 500 Rhode Islanders and targeted qualitative research conducted by Hart Research, drove the priority areas for investment. That community voice is central to Press Forward Rhode Island’s strategy, elevating what Rhode Islanders themselves say their communities need to thrive and ensuring those needs are reflected in how and where resources are directed. For information about the research, visit rifoundation.org/pressforward.

“Access to trustworthy, reliable local news is fundamental to civic health. It’s how communities stay informed, hold institutions accountable, and make decisions together, said David N. Cicilline, president and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation. “Press Forward Rhode Island is our commitment to ensuring that every Rhode Islander, in every corner of our state, has access to the information they need to fully participate in civic life.”

“Local news is essential to strong, connected communities,” said Elizabeth Lynn, executive director of the van Beuren Charitable Foundation. “Collaboration among funders, newsrooms and partners will achieve impact no single funder could accomplish alone.”

The strategies focus on three areas where investment could make impact: 

• Improving access to news and information: strengthening trusted information networks and addressing misinformation and disinformation.

• Addressing significant information gaps identified by research and engagement: expanding news and information in and with communities that are primarily rural, multilingual or historically disenfranchised.

• Increasing sustainability of news networks through innovation and collaboration.

Grantmaking will be managed by the Rhode Island Foundation through its Community Priority Grants program, with the van Beuren Charitable Foundation jointly reviewing proposals and participating in grantmaking that aligns with its strategies and portfolios.

Grant eligibility has been expanded to include collaborations between for-profit and nonprofit media organizations where nonprofits are the lead applicants.

The pre-application process opens June 22, with a deadline of July 16. Decisions are expected to be announced in December 2026.

The announcement comes as Press Forward chapters across the United States mark the first Local News Day. The nationwide initiative celebrates the essential role of trusted local news.

Locally, East Greenwich News, ecoRI News, Rhode Island Current, RINewsToday, the Hummel Report, The Providence Eye, the Valley Breeze and What’s Up Newport are among more than 1,000 newsrooms across the United States that are participating in the inaugural Local News Day.

“Reaching 1,000 participating newsrooms shows how much momentum is building around the idea that communities benefit when people start local,” said Dale Anglin, executive director of Press Forward, a Local News Day sponsor. “Across the country, communities are stepping forward to celebrate the role local reporting plays in helping people.”

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Local News Day!

Local News Day is a national day of action to celebrate and strengthen trusted local news and information. Modeled after movements like Giving Tuesday, it inspires millions of people to reconnect with their local outlets through subscriptions, support, and engagement. For more information and to see news rooms throughout the US who are participating, go HERE.