LINCOLN – Ethan Shorey, chief editor of The Valley Breeze, will step down on Friday, concluding a 20-year career at the Blackstone Valley newspaper he joined as a reporter in 2006.
Shorey, a 2018 PBN 40 Under Forty winner, added top editor duties in 2017, guiding the publication through local news coverage and community initiatives.
He also serves as president of the Rhode Island Press Association. Shorey confirmed with Providence Business News he will remain in that leadership position despite his departure from the newspaper.
“Since I was a teen, I’d had dreams of working for one newspaper for my entire career, and The Breeze seemed like the perfect opportunity to carry it out,” Shorey wrote in a farewell message to readers on Thursday. “I would write stories that mattered to people’s lives in their hometowns. I hope I’ve done that more times than not.”
Shorey described the personal toll of two decades in local journalism, citing the long hours, early mornings, and constant deadlines.
“I could use a reset of sorts, both for myself and my family,” he said.
He said he didn't have any other job lined up at the moment but expressed a desire to eventually return to news despite stepping away.
"It’s what I’m good at and what I love."
Shorey praised the newspaper’s staff and ownership, saying he is confident in their ability to continue serving the community.
“These people I work with represent the best of the Blackstone Valley,” he wrote. He also recognized the dedication of delivery drivers, readers, and his family, thanking them for their support throughout his career.
Looking back, Shorey highlighted the impact of local reporting: stories that brought accountability, helped save local businesses, and drew attention to community challenges.
“So much of this work is about noticing problems that need to be fixed and telling people about them,” he said.
The Valley Breeze is a local newspaper serving northern Rhode Island communities, including Lincoln, Cumberland, Woonsocket, Pawtucket, and North Smithfield. It was founded in 1996 by longtime news photographer Thomas V. Ward as a weekly covering Cumberland and Lincoln, and then expanded over time. Ward was publisher until Breeze Publications Inc. was sold to Virginia-based Whip It Media in 2019.
Matthew McNulty is a PBN staff writer. He can be reached at McNulty@PBN.com or on X at @MattMcNultyNYC.
