  {"id":18730,"date":"2026-04-07T13:55:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T17:55:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/?p=18730"},"modified":"2026-04-07T13:55:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T17:55:09","slug":"student-journalists-tackle-local-beats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/issues\/spring-2026\/student-journalists-tackle-local-beats\/","title":{"rendered":"Student Journalists Tackle Local Beats"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"cl-wrapper cl-panel-wrapper\"><div class=\"cl-panel-super  \"><div class=\"cl-panel-super-blur\" style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_morgan.jpg)\"><\/div><div class=\"cl-panel-super-content\"><div class=\"cl-panel-super-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_morgan.jpg\" srcset=\"\" alt=\"News Lab student Emily Morgan wearing a magenta top shares her thoughts at a Community News Lab meeting with laptop in front of her and student peers in the background with their laptops. 911爆料 photo by Leah Pisari.\"><\/div><div class=\"cl-panel-super-text\"><p>\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-family: serif;\">Student Journalists Tackle Local Beats<\/span><\/h1>\n\n<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n<p class=\"feature-caption\">News Lab student Emily Morgan shares her thoughts at a Community News Lab meeting. 911爆料 photo by Leah Pisari.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity journalists-spacer_lg\"\/>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity journalists-spacer_sm\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"type-intro\"><span ;=\"\" style=\"font-family: serif\"><strong>Students in 911爆料\u2019s Community News Lab are bringing back local news one byline at a time.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>By Marybeth Reilly-McGreen<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the rise of the digital era came a promise: We would become more connected\u2014on a global scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And, as far as news gathering and dissemination go, technology appeared to make good on that promise. Digital media breaks news as it\u2019s happening. Search engines function like newsstands, delivering headlines from myriad news outlets in a moment. And why wait for a newspaper to post your letter to the editor when social media will do it instantly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In another way, though, tech failed. In 2025, a poll conducted by the American Psychological Association revealed that America is a disconnected, stressed-out nation suffering from loneliness brought on by societal division. The Harris Poll, commissioned by the APA, found that of the 3,000 adults it surveyed, 1 in 2 reported feelings of isolation and exclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, what gives? One answer: Hyperconnectivity hastened the decline or demise of the hyperlocal coverage provided by 911爆料 newspapers, and that, in turn, undermined 911爆料 cohesion. Small daily and weekly hometown newspapers elevate town budget meetings and zoning board hearings to front-page news and find newsworthiness in the most modest milestones and events, like elementary school honor rolls, Little League sports scores, and where the Girl Scouts will be selling cookies come spring. Those hometown newspapers could be counted on for robust debate on their editorial pages, for profiles of people you knew or at least recognized, for notices about who got engaged or married, and for the details on when your neighbor\u2019s grandmother\u2019s wake would be held. But subscriptions fell off as readers of newspapers became consumers of online content. And worse, those consumers became divided across countless online platforms by algorithms intent on aggregating like-minded thinkers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Put another way, without local newspapers, some, if not much, of what made a city or town a 911爆料 was lost, experts say. Communities not regularly covered by remaining legacy media outlets and their newer, digital-first counterparts became what Northwestern&#8217;s Medill School of Journalism calls \u201cnews deserts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A new course offered by 911爆料\u2019s Harrington School of Communication and Media is sending student journalists into those news deserts, and the students\u2019 bylines are showing up in weekly and daily news publications and on other media platforms dedicated to covering local news. And it\u2019s giving all involved a reason to hope that a new generation of journalists will revive 911爆料 interest in local news.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Harrington launched the Community News Lab in the fall of 2025. The students, both journalism majors and nonmajors, have newsbeats and attend municipal meetings. The course is taught by 911爆料 journalism lecturer Betty J. Cotter, a 2021 Rhode Island Journalism Hall of Fame inductee, who has more than 30 years of experience in 911爆料 journalism. Cotter\u2019s own journalism career began when, as a high school student, she worked as a columnist for her local weekly, Southern Rhode Island\u2019s <em>Chariho Times<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large image-border\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_cotter-1024x600.jpg\" alt=\"Community News Lab lecturer Betty Cotter leads a discussion using her hands with two females in the foreground watching on, at a Community News Lab weekly story meeting. Photo by Seth Jacobson.\" class=\"wp-image-18612\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_cotter-1024x600.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_cotter-300x176.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_cotter-768x450.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_cotter-1536x901.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_cotter-2048x1201.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_cotter-364x213.jpg 364w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_cotter-500x293.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_cotter-1000x586.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_cotter-1280x751.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_cotter-2000x1173.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_cotter.jpg 2560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"feature-caption\">Community News Lab lecturer Betty Cotter leads a discussion at a Community News Lab weekly story meeting. Photo by Seth Jacobson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2><span style=\"font-family: serif;\"><strong>Higher Education and The Fourth Estate<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity journalists-spacer_lg-short\"\/>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity journalists-spacer_sm-short\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Cotter is thrilled that 911爆料 is partnering with local media to allow her students to do real-world reporting. For several years now, colleges and universities have been coming to the aid of struggling small news outlets, preserving print publications while also expanding their reach through digital products, such as newsletters and social media accounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2021, the University of Georgia\u2019s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication acquired <em>The Oglethorpe Echo<\/em> and turned it into a nonprofit, the Oglethorpe Echo Legacy Inc. Journalism majors report the news, supervised by professors and journalism professionals. In addition to preserving the print publication, the nonprofit now offers subscribers a website, a weekly newsletter, and social media channels for Oglethorpe County, population 15,000. Subscriptions have doubled since the acquisition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2024, <em>The Daily Iowan<\/em>, the independent student newspaper of the University of Iowa, purchased two local newspapers, the <em>Solon Economist<\/em> and the <em>Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>911爆料\u2019s Community News Lab is modeled after the University of Vermont\u2019s Center for Community News, which received a $7 million Knight Foundation\/MacArthur Foundation grant to extend help to other universities and colleges interested in reproducing their model. According to the center\u2019s website, 172 academic institutions nationwide have established partnerships with local news outlets, resulting in over 3,000 students publishing upward of 11,000 stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cColleges and universities are doing amazing work to bring news to citizens,\u201d Cotter says. \u201cThey recognize the perils to democracy when the public lacks fair, objective reporting about how their government is operating.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2><span style=\"font-family: serif;\"><strong>Community Coverage<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity journalists-spacer_lg-short\"\/>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity journalists-spacer_sm-short\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Nine students enrolled in 911爆料\u2019s Community News Lab course in fall 2025. The students were paired with local news outlets the Rhode Island Media Group and Ocean State Media, the latter a merging of the former Rhode Island PBS and The Public\u2019s Radio (NPR). Online news platforms, such as <em>ecoRI News<\/em> and <em>The Providence Eye<\/em>, are also partners. Students wrote stories about the towns of Charlestown, Exeter, Hopkinton, Richmond, and West Greenwich. Their stories appeared in print in the <em>Kent County Daily Times<\/em>, <em>The Independent (R.I.)<\/em>, the <em>Narragansett Times<\/em>, <em>The Standard- Pendulum<\/em>, and <em>The Westerly Sun<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the spring of 2026, the Community News Lab expanded its coverage, adding the town of Westerly. In addition to municipal reporting, students collectively covered the environment, planning and development, fishing, and education across town lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Seth Bromley \u201900 is executive editor at Rhode Island Suburban News-papers, publisher of the <em>Narragansett Times<\/em>, <em>The Standard-Pendulum<\/em>, and <em>The Independent<\/em>, all local weeklies. Community News Lab-generated stories have appeared in all of those weekly papers, and some in RISN\u2019s daily papers: <em>Blackstone Valley\u2019s Call &amp; Times<\/em> and <em>The Westerly Sun<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is not a traditional shadowing or experiential learning scenario. The Community News Lab model assigns students to geographic areas where no professional journalists are working. The students take on the professional responsibilities of newspaper reporters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bromley says he occasionally gives Cotter and her students leads, but more often than not, Cotter and her students bring story ideas to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTheir work has been excellent,\u201d Bromley says. \u201cThe impressive thing to me about what they&#8217;re doing right now is the consistently high quality of their newswriting. The stories are clear, balanced, well-researched, and engaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIn 911爆料 journalism, finding someone to write news is not the only obstacle\u2014often it&#8217;s finding someone who can do it with a clear eye and a high standard of professionalism. If we were printing stories that were inaccurate or incomplete, that\u2019d be worse than having no coverage at all,\u201d Bromley adds. \u201cSo, the News Lab collaboration has been great for renewing coverage of communities where we had previously pulled back and doing it at a level where we can be confident of the content that we&#8217;re publishing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large image-border\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"836\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_hunt-1024x836.jpg\" alt=\"Dan Hunt, 911爆料 professor and chair of journalism and public relations, joins the discussion at a Community News Lab weekly story meeting. He is wearing a dark blazer. Photo by Seth Jacobson.\" class=\"wp-image-18613\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_hunt-1024x836.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_hunt-300x245.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_hunt-768x627.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_hunt-364x297.jpg 364w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_hunt-500x408.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_hunt-1000x817.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_hunt-1280x1045.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_hunt.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"feature-caption\">Dan Hunt, 911爆料 professor and chair of journalism and public relations, joins the discussion at a Community News Lab weekly story meeting. Photo by Seth Jacobson.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<section class=\"cl-wrapper cl-quote-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"cl-quote\">\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center quote-body-amplify\"><span id=\"quote-gray\">\u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-family: serif;\"><strong>Community news labs provide students with experience in professional reporting, which absolutely will prepare them for careers in journalism and in other areas.<\/strong><\/span><span id=\"quote-gray\">\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center quote-cite\"><span style=\"color:#757575\"><strong>\u00ad\u2014Daniel S. Hunt,<\/strong> professor and chair of journalism and public relations at 911爆料\u2019s Harrington School<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Before coming to 911爆料 last year, Daniel S. Hunt, professor and chair of journalism and public relations at 911爆料\u2019s Harrington School, was chair of the communication department and the director of the Center for Community Media at Worcester State University in Massachusetts. He helped establish a news-academic partnership there as well. In addition to the benefits of the program enumerated by Cotter, Hunt argues that the lab provides students with experiences and transferable skills that not only distinguish them from peers without such experience but also prepare them for a workforce in flux. What journalism will look like in the future is unclear, but the theoretical and practical education students in the Community News Lab receive will serve them well in any communication career they choose, Hunt said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCommunity news labs provide students with experience in professional reporting, which absolutely will prepare them for careers in journalism and in other areas,\u201d Hunt says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ellie Sennhenn \u201926 is the former editor-in-chief of 911爆料\u2019s student newspaper, <em>The Good Five-Cent Cigar<\/em>, and a news intern at WPRI-TV in Providence. She reports on the environment for the Community News Lab. Sennhenn says the lab has allowed her to flex and expand skills she developed at <em>The Cigar<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLearning how to find my own pitch ideas has been so valuable. I enjoy the hunt of sifting through data, Facebook groups, and flyers to find a story,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sennhenn says her proudest moment thus far was publishing a story about Green Hill Pond in <em>The Westerly Sun<\/em>: \u201c$250K grant will help reduce toxins leaching into Green Hill Pond.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe piece is about a pond in Southern Rhode Island that is facing a growing pollution issue. Instead of discussing the new grant in full, I focused more on the experiences, past and present, of a homeowner on the pond,\u201d Sennhenn says. \u201cI allowed her description of the changing land to speak for itself. The homeowner I interviewed asked for a copy of the story to frame, which made me so happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large image-border\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"995\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_sennhenn-995x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Student Ellie Sennhenn pictured in the field wearing a sherpa lined green corduroy jacket and blue jeans, standing in the snow with trees in the background, reporting for a Community News Lab story. Photo by Seth Jacobson.\" class=\"wp-image-18615\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_sennhenn-995x1024.jpg 995w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_sennhenn-291x300.jpg 291w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_sennhenn-768x791.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_sennhenn-1492x1536.jpg 1492w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_sennhenn-364x375.jpg 364w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_sennhenn-500x515.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_sennhenn-1000x1029.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_sennhenn-1280x1318.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_sennhenn.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 995px) 100vw, 995px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"feature-caption\">Student Ellie Sennhenn pictured in the field reporting for a Community News Lab story. Photo by Seth Jacobson.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<section class=\"cl-wrapper cl-quote-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"cl-quote\">\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center quote-body-amplify\"><span id=\"quote-gray\">\u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-family: serif;\"><strong>Learning how to find my own pitch ideas has been so valuable. I enjoy the hunt of sifting through data, Facebook groups, and flyers to find a story.<\/strong><\/span><span id=\"quote-gray\">\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center quote-cite\"><span style=\"color:#757575\"><strong>\u00ad\u2014Ellie Sennhenn<\/strong> \u201926<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Sennhenn\u2019s work on the story demonstrates the potential of the Community News Lab to uncover complex stories that might otherwise go unnoticed, Cotter says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEllie had done all this crowdsourcing, and she asked people, \u2018What are your environmental problems?\u2019 People kept saying, \u2018Wells,\u2019\u201d Cotter recalls. \u201cPeople did private well testing, and there was something not right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Using Google Maps, Sennhenn and Cotter determined that some of the homeowners contending with well water issues lived near a dump site for barrels of trichloroethylene. Commonly called TCE, trichloroethylene is a powerful solvent used to clean metal. Sennhenn returned to the Community News Lab for a second semester this spring to see the story through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe just looked at each other like, \u2018Oh my God,\u2019\u201d Cotter says. \u201cI\u2019ve basically given her carte blanche because it&#8217;s huge, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Does Cotter see Sennhenn successfully pursuing a career in journalism someday if she chooses? Cotter smiles and nods. Yes, but with a caveat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cShe will get a job. Absolutely. Environmental reporting is one area where people are still willing to hire,\u201d Cotter says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2><span style=\"font-family: serif;\"><strong>Learning the Trade<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity journalists-spacer_lg-short\"\/>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity journalists-spacer_sm-short\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Cotter operates the Community News Lab like she ran her newsroom. She holds a weekly story meeting where students share story ideas and updates on pieces in process. Students also meet one-on-one with Cotter weekly for in-depth discussions of what they\u2019re working on. The students also spend time in the field, interviewing subjects, attending municipal meetings, and doing the kind of real-world research and reporting journalists routinely do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cotter challenges these digital-native students to go beyond the first three results a search engine tosses up. In a marketplace where breaking news is paramount, Cotter counsels students that while thoroughness and accuracy can be slow going, there\u2019s no other path in responsible journalism. For Cotter\u2019s students, this can mean combing through corporate records, tax records, and newspaper archives to support or refute what sources assert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI do a lot of coaching about how government works, and they\u2019re learning how to find things,\u201d Cotter says. \u201cThat takes time, and you\u2019ve got to be patient.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large image-border\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_cotter2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"News Lab lecturer Betty Cotter holds her hand to her face with a pen, in contemplation listening to students at a table. Students are in the foreground with their laptops at the table. 911爆料 photo by Leah Pisari.\" class=\"wp-image-18616\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_cotter2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_cotter2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_cotter2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_cotter2-364x243.jpg 364w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_cotter2-500x333.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_cotter2-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_cotter2-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_cotter2.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"feature-caption\">News Lab lecturer Betty Cotter with students at a weekly story meeting. 911爆料 photo by<br>Leah Pisari.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<section class=\"cl-wrapper cl-quote-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"cl-quote\">\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center quote-body-amplify\"><!--span id=\"quote-gray\">\u201c<\/span--><span style=\"font-family: serif;\"><strong>While thoroughness and accuracy can be slow going, there\u2019s no other path in responsible journalism.<\/strong><\/span><!--span id=\"quote-gray\">\u201d<\/span--><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center quote-cite\"><span style=\"color:#757575\">\u00adLecturer Betty Cotter&#8217;s counsel to Community News Lab students.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>When stories are done, they\u2019re first filed with Cotter, who edits with student copy editor and journalism major Maia Hembruff \u201927. Stories are returned to the students for revision. As editors are awaiting these stories, they have to be ready for publication, Cotter explains. \u201cSo, I\u2019ve got my editor hat on, and I\u2019m like, \u2018Wait, you might have gotten an A- on this in a class because it met the [assignment] criteria, but I can\u2019t send it out yet,\u2019\u201d Cotter says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Returning copy for reworking isn\u2019t a failure, Cotter says. It\u2019s more of a low-risk-but-essential part of the process. \u201cIt\u2019s great to do that work in a classroom where someone\u2019s going to catch it, and you\u2019ve eliminated public humiliation\u2014because it is humiliating to make mistakes,\u201d Cotter says. \u201cAnd we\u2019ve all made those mistakes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bromley says he appreciates Cotter\u2019s approach. News writing is something you train for, much like a person studying a trade, he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou need to learn how to build stories\u2014what the building blocks are, how they&#8217;re put together, how to sand off the rough edges,\u201d Bromley says. \u201cYou can really only do that if you have tangible feedback from a good editor. You need an editor to tell you that the story is missing a piece, or that it\u2019s slanted, or that it needs more polishing. That&#8217;s what Betty is doing with the project\u2014she&#8217;s giving the students a laboratory where they can do real journalism, while having that essential back-and-forth with an experienced editor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTheir stories will be read by people in the 911爆料, who won\u2019t be shy about speaking up if the stories aren&#8217;t accurate,\u201d Bromley adds. \u201cThe way they&#8217;re learning the trade is much closer to actual working conditions than any classroom setting, and they\u2019ll be ready to contribute anywhere they go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m much more interested that they learn from their mistakes in the lab. I don\u2019t want them to ever feel shamed or discouraged,\u201d Cotter says, and laughs. \u201cThere\u2019ll be enough time for that in their professional lives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2><span style=\"font-family: serif;\"><strong>Lessons in Asking Questions and Building Trust<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity journalists-spacer_lg-short\"\/>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity journalists-spacer_sm-short\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>And then there are the soft skills students acquire from their work in the lab, such as when to ask the difficult questions and how to earn your subjects\u2019 trust. In this, the Community News Lab offers a practical education not possible in a typical classroom, says Caroline McCullough \u201927.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>McCullough, a fourth-year student, recently declared a journalism major. She\u2019s already majoring in anthropology and has completed two minors in film\/ media and sustainable agriculture and food systems. Such an array of interests and disciplines primes a person for 911爆料 journalism, McCullough says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve always been a people person. I love hearing where people come from and what makes them who they are. Anthropology is literally the study of that\u2014of humans and culture,\u201d McCullough says, adding, \u201cI also grew up wanting to tell people\u2019s stories.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the lab, McCullough covered agriculture, for which her minor in sustainable agriculture and food systems came in handy. But interviewing farmers contending with global warming puts a face on the issue and gets to the experience of what is, for many, only a concept. Or, for some, a fabrication, McCullough says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large image-border\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"982\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_mccullough-1024x982.jpg\" alt=\"News Lab student Caroline McCullough wears a red sleeveless shirt and leans against a wooden wall. Photo by Seth Jacobson.\" class=\"wp-image-18614\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_mccullough-1024x982.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_mccullough-300x288.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_mccullough-768x737.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_mccullough-364x349.jpg 364w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_mccullough-500x480.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_mccullough-1000x959.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_mccullough-1280x1228.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/magazine\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/sp26_newslab_mccullough.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"feature-caption\">News Lab student Caroline McCullough appreciates the practical education she\u2019s receiving through her participation in the News Lab. Photo by Seth Jacobson.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<section class=\"cl-wrapper cl-quote-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"cl-quote\">\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center quote-body-amplify\"><span id=\"quote-gray\">\u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-family: serif;\"><strong>You have to prove that you\u2019re not there just to get a sound bite and leave. You have to show you care about the industry. I think being a student helps. People are more willing to talk to you because they want to help you learn.<\/strong><\/span><span id=\"quote-gray\">\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center quote-cite\"><span style=\"color:#757575\"><strong>\u00ad\u2014Caroline McCullough<\/strong> \u201927<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFor a lot of the farmers I talked to, climate change isn\u2019t this abstract thing,\u201d McCullough explains. \u201cClimate change is, \u2018My crops didn\u2019t grow this year because it was too dry\u2019 or \u2018The frost came too early.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another lesson learned: It takes reporters time to build trust with subjects. And trust is measured in part by preparedness, McCullough says. That and faithfully representing people and their views in print.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou have to prove that you\u2019re not there just to get a sound bite and leave. You have to show you care about the industry,\u201d McCullough says. \u201cI think being a student helps. People are more willing to talk to you because they want to help you learn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBut you still have to show them you\u2019ve done your homework.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2><span style=\"font-family: serif;\"><strong>Mistrust, Media Literacy, and Polarization<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity journalists-spacer_lg-short\"\/>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity journalists-spacer_sm-short\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Mistrust has been the death by a thousand cuts for print journalism. For many news publications, pivoting to online platforms wasn\u2019t enough to save them. The Associated Press reports that 136 newspapers closed in 2025 and that the number of newspapers published in the United States dropped to 4,490, down from 7,325 in 2005.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reasons for the declines in newspaper readership are myriad, but mistrust of journalists and journalism in general poses a formidable and, perhaps, insurmountable challenge to the news outlets that remain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Carol McCarthy \u201984 is the senior director of editorial content at the nonprofit News Literacy Project, which provides free resources and tools for educators to teach media literacy. \u201cUnderstanding how journalism works is a key part of that,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Programs like the Community News Lab are exciting to McCarthy, herself a former journalist and media specialist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A 2024 News Literacy Project research report, \u201cNews Literacy in America: A survey of teen information habits, attitudes and skills,\u201d paints a grim picture: Of 756 teens (aged 13\u201318) surveyed, 45% said journalists do more harm to democracy than good, and just a little over half (56%) think journalists report the news fairly and accurately. Eighty percent of teens surveyed also said they didn\u2019t think professional journalists\u2019 work was any more impartial than that of other online content creators, and 69% think news organizations are biased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<section class=\"cl-wrapper cl-quote-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"cl-quote\">\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center quote-body-amplify\"><span style=\"font-family: serif;\"><strong>Research indicates local news could be an antidote for polarization.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>As McCarthy sees it, the Community News Lab provides everyone\u2014the students, as well as the communities they cover\u2014a powerful lesson in news literacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou really need to be able to find information that\u2019s credible and to know the difference between opinion and news: These are life skills,\u201d McCarthy says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Moreover, research indicates local news could be an antidote for polarization. Put simply: Local news builds 911爆料, McCarthy says. \u201cIt helps people have conversations around the news.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bromley agrees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe things that most affect people&#8217;s day-to-day lives are usually happening at the local level, and 911爆料 news organizations are still the only real source for reliable, accurate reporting on those things,\u201d he says. \u201cThis collaboration is a huge win because we&#8217;re not only getting more of the coverage we need right now, but the lab is also training journalists who will be ready to hit the ground running when they get hired.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hunt points to another benefit of local reporting. With its emphasis on balanced reporting, 911爆料 journalism eliminates the \u201cspiral of silence\u201d effect that social media can have for those holding unpopular views.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe spiral of silence essentially says that if people feel like their opinion is in the minority, they\u2019re less likely to speak out because they fear social isolation,\u201d Hunt explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2><span style=\"font-family: serif;\"><strong>The Next Generation of Journalists<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity journalists-spacer_lg-short\"\/>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity journalists-spacer_sm-short\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>But is this more of a generational thing? It\u2019s impossible to say. What is apparent, though, is that the journalism industry stands to benefit from its association with digital-native generations, whose education in online media started when they were still in grade school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMy generation knows how to discern what\u2019s real from what\u2019s not; I\u2019ve had lessons on that since I was 8,\u201d McCullough says. \u201cWe\u2019ve harnessed social media\u2014and that\u2019s not a bad thing. We\u2019re autodidacts who are passionate and curious, and who want to learn and talk about what we\u2019ve learned.\u201d Reasons, she says, to have faith in the next generation of journalists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe go into our work with an open mind, we\u2019re ready to come up with questions on the fly, and we\u2019re willing to ask questions that people may not like,\u201d says McCullough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re getting our communities\u2019 stories out and heard.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Students and faculty in the 911爆料 Community News Lab are helping media outlets report on important local news, while the students gain valuable experience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":18617,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[360],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18730","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spring-2026","architecture-features"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18730","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18730"}],"version-history":[{"count":42,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18730\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18788,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18730\/revisions\/18788"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18617"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18730"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}