PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island Public Radio is changing its outward-facing name to The Public’s Radio, the local NPR affiliate announced Thursday, in order to better reflect its broadcasting in the South Coast region of Massachusetts and to emphasize the station’s coverage of local news.
“It’s a public-centered conception: journalism as a profession dominated not by telling but listening,” said RIPR President and CEO Torey Malatia. “Our task is hearing the continuing discourse of our local public, so that we can serve their needs – verifying and helping to interpret facts as we support the sharing of ideas in our community.”
The station will launch a new website, ThePublicsRadio.org starting Friday.
The organization said it is opening a South Coast bureau based in New Bedford to augment its coverage of southeastern Massachusetts. The bureau will be an office at the Star Store in New Bedford, where the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth houses its art programs, Malatia told PBN Thursday. The office will have space for about four people and a sound booth. The office will have a full-time reporter.
The station has a deal as part of its acquisition of the university’s 89.3 FM terrestrial radio signal. The station will partner with the school on internships, community projects and community events.
The Public’s Radio also noted that it intends to significantly expand its local reporting staff over the next five years. Malatia said in addition to its current four full-time reporters, a full-time managing editor, news director, two full-time on-air newscasters and a news support staff, it will add six full-time reporters, including the reporter in the South Coast bureau, as well as a senior investigative editor, a researcher and three digital publishing specialists.
Malatia also said the station would like to add a daily talk show, which could mean four more full-time staff members.
The official name of the nonprofit organization will remain Rhode Island Public Radio.
Chris Bergenheim is the PBN web editor. Email him at Bergenheim@PBN.com.
