PROVIDENCE – A new online news outlet is set to appear in the Ocean State news scene.
The Rhode Island Current, the 33rd digital news outlet of States Newsroom, will launch on March 15 at www.rhodeislandcurrent.com.
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The Current will focus on politics and state government. It will operate as a nonprofit, independent organization that will not accept ads nor will have its site paywall protected. They will not offer paid subscriptions though will deliver a free daily digital newsletter to those who provide a valid email address.
States Newsroom, launched in 2019, is a national nonprofit network funded by tax-deductible donations from readers and philanthropists. Each of its newsrooms are independently run and allows other news outlets to republish its work for free. Donors listed on their website include The 1610 Foundation, I.L. Cohen Foundation, The Stillman Fund and T. Rowe Price Charitable. In 2020, States Newsroom raised more than $10 million according to a report in The Washington Post.
Although its business model is new to the ever-changing landscape of the media industry, the Current’s staff is comprised of journalists who have years of experience.
Janine L. Weisman, who spent 25 years as a reporter and editor at The Newport Daily News, is the editor-in-chief and oversees three reporters. She has a master’s degree in speech communications from the University of Maine and is an adjunct professor in the journalism program at Roger Williams University.
“We are excited to expand Rhode Island’s news ecosystem and provide a steady stream of accurate and thorough reporting on what’s happening at the Statehouse in Providence and all along our 400 miles of coastline,” Weisman said. “I am so grateful for the enthusiasm and warm wishes so many people in this state have shared with us. Rhode Islanders are hungry for nonpartisan coverage of public policy issues and we intend to keep them well nourished.”
Kevin G. Andrade, who has worked for both The Providence Journal and The Standard-Times of New Bedford, will be the senior reporter. Andrade’s work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian and The Boston Globe, among other outlets. He has a master’s degree in Latin American Studies from the University of Arizona and is fluent in both Spanish and Portuguese.
Former Providence Business News reporter Nancy Lavin will also join the Current’s staff. Lavin covered business and politics, development and environmental issues for PBN the past three years. She also spent time at The Frederick News-Post of Frederick, Md., and The Westerly Sun. Lavin is a summa cum laude graduate of the University of Rhode Island.
Christopher Shea will also serve as a reporter. Shea previously served as editor of the Dartmouth Week of Dartmouth, Mass. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and covered the 2018 Minnesota caucuses while interning with the Star Tribune.
