Rhode Island Current (RIC)

Founding and History

The Rhode Island Current was founded in March of 2023 as the state-level affiliate of States Newsroom, an umbrella organization covering dozens of local news organizations and a national bureau in Washington, D.C. ^{4 2} States Newsroom has 50 state-level outlets across 39 states, in addition to its national bureau in Washington D.C. ^{4 2}

States Newsroom is a left-of-center media nonprofit that acts as a parent organization for state-focused media outlets around the country, in addition to having a Washington, D.C., national bureau. States Newsroom is required to file tax returns with the states where the state media outlets operate, and all donations that are earmarked for a specific media outlet must first be processed via States Newsroom. ^{5 6}

A job listing from 2019 identified States Newsroom as being a “a progressive political journalism startup.” ⁷ As of March 2024, while job postings and the organization’s self-description do not use the term “progressive,” postings use a “left-of-center” framing to identify its ideological alignment, stating explicitly that the organization seeks to challenge “systemic inequality and racism” and that it is seeking to improve its racial diversity. ⁸

Financials

As a state-level project of States Newsroom, Rhode Island Current is not an independent nonprofit and States Newsroom handles its finances. States Newsroom does not itemize how much money is allocated to its various sub-entities in its tax filings. ⁹ RIC’s donation page notes that donations are processed via States Newsroom, and notes that check donations that are earmarked for RIC must be mailed to States Newsroom. ⁶

Organization Philosophy

The Rhode Island Current and States Newsroom do not have a stated ideological position. In 2019, States Newsroom self-identified as a “a progressive political journalism startup,” though it does not use such framing in job listings as of March 2024. ^{10 8 2 1}

However, both RIC and States Newsroom embrace the left-of-center philosophy of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ). RIC states that media has historically been full of privileged people that uphold systemic racism, that it intends to use its journalism to effect “positive social change”, and that the values of diversity and equity guide all levels of its reporting. ³

Leadership

Janine L. Weisman is the editor of the Rhode Island Current. She previously worked 25 years at the Newport Daily News and is an adjunct professor of journalism at Roger Williams University. ¹