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)

Sponsored by the Rhode Island News Collaborative

This half-day conference features two panel discussions:

• 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

• 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 will be given by:

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

The Rhode Island News Collaborative (RINC) brings together civic-minded, independent local news organizations committed to strengthening journalism across the state. Through collaboration rather than competition, RINC members work collectively to share stories and resources, support one another, and expand access to credible local news.