Our purpose
The Community News Lab pairs student reporters with media partners to bring objective reporting to news desert communities in Rhode Island. Staffed with students from the Department of Public Relations and Journalism, the News Lab covers five towns that lack full-time news coverage: Richmond, Hopkinton, West Greenwich, Exeter and Charlestown. In addition, students report on four areas of importance to southern Rhode Islanders, including the environment, regional education, the fishing industry and agriculture. The News Lab supplies stories to newspapers in the R.I. Media Group, including The Westerly Sun, The Kent County Daily Times, The Independent, The Narragansett Times, and The Standard-Pendulum, as well as Ocean State Media, home of the Public’s Radio, the local NPR affiliate. Other partners, including EcoRI and The Providence Eye, will work with the news lab.
Who we are
The URI Department of Public Relations and Journalism, chaired by Daniel S. Hunt, is dedicated to providing students with professional experiences. The News Lab is one of the experiential learning spaces within the Harrington School of Communication & Media. Students in the department get real-world journalism experience in classes like Public Affairs Reporting and Writing, and Electronic News Gathering; internships in print, digital and broadcast journalism; and the News Lab. The department faculty includes award-winning photographers and documentary filmmakers, a scholar in computer-assisted reporting, and a longtime news reporter and editor. The News Lab editor is journalism instructor Betty J. Cotter.
News Lab reporters
Topics: Ellie Sennhenn, reporting on the environment; Emily Morgan, on regional education; Caroline McCullough, on agriculture; and Johnny Ochsenfeld, fishing and the ports.
Towns: Dustin Thodde, Exeter; Mel Eusebio, Charlestown; Megan Wallitsch, Richmond; Katelyn Drenga, Hopkinton; and Emily Morgan, West Greenwich.
Editing: Maia Hembruff
In the news
Oysters remain king of state aquaculture fishery - By Johnny Ochsenfeld/Oyster farming is thriving in Rhode Island and has the added benefit of improving water quality.
Declining test scores in primary grades concern School Committee - By Emily Morgan/Some R.I. test scores were up in Exeter-West Greenwich schools, but it was the Metcalf Elementary numbers that prompted the most concern.- Exeter declines to pay for traffic light at Sweetspot dispensary - By Dustin Thodde/The owner of the Route 2 marijuana dispensary thinks the town should chip in based on the revenue it's getting from the business.
- Exeter town Councilwoman resigns over open records request - By Dustin Thodde/An Exeter councilwoman resigned after the town released security footage of her to a member of the public.
- Wakefield cafe expands to Charlestown tavern - By Mel Eusebio/Caf Bar II opened Saturday in the Wilcox Tavern on Route 1.
- New holiday tree graces town hall lawn - By Mel Eusebio/A former Town Council president ensures that Charlestown's tree-lighting tradition would go on.
- Chariho voters consider the pluses and minuses of one district elementary school - By Emily Morgan/While Chariho school officials search for land to build one consolidated elementary school, voters will have the final say at a referendum.
- Candidate questionnaire highlights positions on housing, open space - Compiled by Mel Eusebio/Charlestown Town Council candidates weigh in on three issues before the Dec. 2 election.
Contact
If interested in partnering with Community News Lab or sharing news tips with the editor, please email newslabeditor@uri.edu.
