News Media

The moment before Lugo strikes Rourke

Will we ever develop the skills to process online political content like Bartholomew’s doctored abortion-protest clip?

By Justin Katz | June 25, 2022 |

First things first: It is very difficult to imagine circumstances that entirely excuse the actions of Jeann Lugo in a five second clip from last night’s pro-abortion rally at the State House.  Lugo is a muscular man with police training.  Striking a woman — progressive candidate Jennifer Rourke — should not be something he would…

A woman in a hedge maze

Politics This Week with John DePetro: Everybody’s Losing the Plot

By Justin Katz | June 20, 2022 |

John DePetro and Justin Katz talk about the ways insiders are missing the point in Rhode Island politics.

Liquid pouring into an invisible glass

Politics This Week with John DePetro: The Illusion of Politics

By Justin Katz | May 16, 2022 |

John DePetro and Justin Katz pull back the curtain on Rhode Island politics

A man fuels his car

Biden’s ethanol fuel proposal makes no sense.

By Justin Katz | April 14, 2022 |

Sometimes when you’re busy and check in on the news, it seems nothing makes sense, so let me make sure I’ve got a complete picture, here. Immediately upon entering office, Joe Biden took deliberate steps that were certain to drive up the cost of fuel (restricting drilling, canceling a North American fuel pipeline, etc.), and…

John DePetro on the Ukraine-Poland border

Does the RI media know DePetro’s providing international journalism?

By Justin Katz | March 15, 2022 |

Just as he was out and about regularly reporting on Antifa/BLM protests in the Providence area, just as he was covering large protests against Governor Dan McKee’s vaccine mandate for health care worker, John DePetro has travelled to Poland and the Ukraine border to provide live, on-the-scene reportage. So many young children from Ukraine being…

A water drop and ripples

Just when I was beginning to respect the Projo again, Katherine Gregg lets loose some partisan COVID propaganda.

By Justin Katz | February 22, 2022 |

As much of the local, state, and national media goes woke, established publications like the Providence Journal have seemed more even-handed in contrast.  An article by Katherine Gregg about a Rhode Island psychiatrist who dissents from the demanded view on COVID blows that impression up.  Some of the paragraphs that make me wonder whether the Projo…

Man reading newspaper

Local journalism must see past the mists of its romantic self-vision.

By Justin Katz | February 19, 2022 |

The Valley Breeze is a notable standout in local journalism, with observable quality and dedication.  Indeed, the fact that its chief editor, Ethan Shorey, spends hours each week actually delivering the paper has a back-to-our-roots feel that one can’t help but admire and encourage for the paper’s peers. But zooming out to the whole industry, rather than…

A man in a "Press" helmet

From whom is more pay for journalists owed?

By Justin Katz | January 14, 2022 |

Bethany Feudenthal, who writes for the Newport Daily News, has been commenting on her low rate of pay, with social media posts such as this: I might be controversial at times, like last year I posted my W2’s on social media, and yesterday I posted my pay stub from last week. Journalists write about public official’s…

Reporters taking notes

At the intersection of COVID and politics, omissions proliferate.

By Justin Katz | January 13, 2022 |

How does a news organization publish an entire article, by WPRI’s Steph Machado, with associated television news clip, about a tug-of-war between the mayor of Providence and the city council over vaccine mandates for police and not mention crime in the city? The deadline is Friday for all city workers to get at least one…

RI's "extreme" sea level map.

Aren’t there any standards for checking a politician’s environmental claims?

By Justin Katz | January 12, 2022 |

As a follow-up to Tolly Taylor’s sea-level scare addressed in this space yesterday, WPRI handed editorial control over Democrat Senator from Rhode Island Sheldon Whitehouse, whom the reporter permits to claim without context that Rhode Island will see nine to 12 feet of sea level rise by the end of this century. Seriously, don’t the…