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The Providence Journal , colloquially known as the ProJo , is a daily newspaper serving the metropolitan area of Providence , the largest newspaper in Rhode Island , US. The newspaper was first published in 1829. The newspaper had won four Pulitzer Prizes as of 2023.

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117-593: The Journal bills itself as "America's oldest daily newspaper in continuous publication", as the Hartford Courant , started in 1764, did not become a daily until 1837, and the New York Post , which began daily publication in 1801, suspended publication during strikes in 1958 and 1978. The beginnings of the Providence Journal Company were on January 3, 1820, when publisher "Honest" John Miller started

234-544: A humid continental climate , with warm summers and cold winters. The state's southern coastal portions are the broad transition zone into subtropical climates, with hot summers and cool winters with a mix of rain and snow. Block Island has an oceanic climate . The highest temperature recorded in Rhode Island was 104 °F (40 °C), recorded on August 2, 1975, in Providence. The lowest recorded temperature in Rhode Island

351-454: A 6 percent targeted reduction in the Gannett news division, executive editor David Ng was laid-off. In March 2023, Gannet reported updated circulation numbers for The Providence Journal of 27,820 daily subscribers and 33,523 Sunday subscribers for 2022. The paper in its early days changed headquarters frequently as the paper grew. The paper's original office was in the old Coffee House, at

468-475: A Sunday edition was added, making the publication schedule seven days per week. After Danielson's death, the paper became less partisan, and by 1888 declared its political independence. Alfred M. Williams, editor from 1884 to 1891, broke from the Republican party and advocated for government reform, women's suffrage, and Indian rights. In contrast to Danielson and Anthony, Williams had a sympathetic appreciation for

585-796: A buyer for the Journal , including its headquarters on 75 Fountain St. and its separate printing facility. The company said it wanted to focus on business interests in Dallas. Workers were not surprised because the announcement came after the company sold one of its other papers, the Riverside Press-Enterprise in California . A. H. Belo announced on July 22, 2014, that it was selling the paper's assets to New Media Investment Group Inc., parent company of Fairport, N.Y.-based GateHouse Media , for $ 46 million. By then,

702-692: A contraction of Dutch courante nouvellen , from French nouvelles courantes, indicating current news articles. However, this Gallicism was already current in the English world and more specifically in the early modern newspaper industry. A case in point is the New-England Courant (Boston), founded by James Franklin in 1721. Nancy Tracy of the Hartford Courant was a 1984 Pulitzer Prize Finalist in Feature Writing for her moving depiction of Meg Casey,

819-484: A division of GateHouse Media , assumed the title of interim publisher, succeeding Howard G. Sutton. On Feb. 27, 2015, Janet Hasson was named president and publisher of the Journal . (The GateHouse Media news release announcing the appointment incorrectly reported that Hasson was the paper's first female publisher. That distinction belongs to Mary Caroline Knowles, who was publisher from 1874 until 1879.) In 2019, Journal parent company GateHouse Media purchased Gannett ,

936-579: A prominent role in the American Revolution . At approximately 2 a.m. on June 10, 1772, a band of Providence residents attacked the grounded revenue schooner HMS Gaspée , burning it to the waterline for enforcing unpopular trade regulations within Narragansett Bay. Rhode Island was the first of the thirteen colonies to renounce its allegiance to the British Crown on May 4, 1776. It was also

1053-754: A range of official documents and state websites. In July, amidst the George Floyd protests and nationwide calls to address systemic racism, the resolution referring the question to the voters was passed by both houses of the Rhode Island General Assembly : 69–1 in the House of Representatives , and 35–0 in the Senate . The change was then approved by voters 52.8% to 47.2% as part of the 2020 United States elections , taking effect in November 2020 upon certification of

1170-504: A referendum in November 2010 on removing "and Providence Plantations" from the official name. Advocates for excising plantation argued that the word symbolized a legacy of disenfranchisement for many Rhode Islanders, as well as the proliferation of slavery in the colonies and in the post-colonial United States. Advocates for retaining the name argued that plantation was simply an archaic synonym for colony and bore no relation to slavery. The people voted overwhelmingly (78% to 22%) to retain

1287-732: A show of solidarity initiated by The Boston Globe . "The Hartford Courant joins newspapers from around the country today to reaffirm that the press is not the enemy of the American people. " In October 2020, the Courant announced that it would be discontinuing printing the paper in Hartford and outsourcing future printing to the Springfield Republican in Massachusetts. In December 2020, Tribune Publishing announced that it would be closing

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1404-606: A state constitution, arguing the charter government violated the Guarantee Clause in Article Four, Section Four of the United States Constitution . In 1842, the charter government and Dorr's supporters held separate elections, and two rival governments claimed sovereignty over the state. Dorr's supporters led an armed rebellion against the charter government, and Dorr was arrested and imprisoned for treason against

1521-786: A state lottery employee killed four supervisors then himself. Reporters Mike McIntire and Jack Dolan of the Hartford Courant were 2001 Pulitzer Prize Finalists in Investigative Reporting for their work in revealing the mistakes of practicing doctors who have faced disciplinary action. Photojournalist Brad Clift was a 2003 Pulitzer Prize Finalist in Feature Photography for his photo series "Heroin Town", which depicted heroin use in Willimantic . Lisa Chedekel and Matthew Kauffman of

1638-543: A time of growth in textile mills and manufacturing and brought an influx of immigrants to fill those jobs, bringing population growth and urbanization. In Newport , New York's wealthiest industrialists created a summer haven to socialize and build grand mansions . Thousands of French-Canadian, Italian, Irish, and Portuguese immigrants arrived to fill jobs in the textile and manufacturing mills in Providence, Pawtucket, Central Falls, and Woonsocket. During World War I, Rhode Island furnished 28,817 soldiers, of whom 612 died. After

1755-508: A tourist information center. The Newport Tower has been hypothesized to be of Viking origin, although most experts believe it was a Colonial-era windmill. On May 29, 2014, Governor Lincoln D. Chafee announced that Rhode Island was one of eight states to release a collaborative Action Plan to put 3.3 million zero-emission vehicles on its roads by 2025. The plan's purpose is to reduce greenhouse gas and smog-causing emissions. The plan promotes zero-emissions vehicles and investments in

1872-601: A victim of premature aging. Robert S. Capers and Eric Lipton of the Hartford Courant won the 1992 Pulitzer Prize in Explanatory Journalism for their series on how a flawed mirror built at Connecticut's Perkin-Elmer Corporation immobilized the Hubble Space Telescope . The Hartford Courant Staff won the 1999 Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News Reporting for its coverage of a shooting rampage in which

1989-538: A vote for Trump was a vote for racism. In August 2009, the Courant attracted controversy over its firing of George Gombossy, a 40-year veteran of the paper and its consumer advocate at the time. Gombossy charged that the Courant had spiked an article he had written about an ongoing investigation by the Connecticut attorney general accusing Sleepy's (a major advertiser in the paper) of selling used and bedbug-infested mattresses as new. Gombossy's lawsuit against

2106-477: A young journalist with an interest in history. At the Journal , Dow developed a "news index" which summarized stories of historic interest. It is possible this was an early inspiration for Dow's later development of his " stock index " at The Wall Street Journal . While at the Journal Dow wrote a series on "The History of Steam Navigation between New York and Providence". Dow also traveled to Colorado to report on

2223-460: Is a crook. Well, I am not a crook." Shortly after this, the I.R.S. audited Nixon's tax returns. By December 1973, Nixon, under pressure, released five years of tax documents. This set a precedent for Presidents and presidential candidates to release tax returns, a custom that continued to 2016. White's story forced Nixon to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in owed taxes. The story won White the 1974 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting . In 1988

2340-530: Is nicknamed the Ocean State and has a number of oceanfront beaches . It is mostly flat with no real mountains, and the state's highest natural point is Jerimoth Hill , 812 feet (247 m) above sea level. The state has two distinct natural regions. Eastern Rhode Island contains the lowlands of the Narragansett Bay, while Western Rhode Island forms part of the New England upland. Rhode Island's forests are part of

2457-528: Is no record of any law legalizing slave-holding. The colony later prospered under the slave trade, distilling rum to sell in Africa as part of a profitable triangular trade in slaves and sugar with the Caribbean. Rhode Island's legislative body passed an act in 1652 abolishing the holding of slaves (the first British colony to do so), but this edict was never enforced and Rhode Island continued to be heavily involved in

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2574-422: Is referred to in that manner in the United States Constitution . This name was derived from the merger of Colonial settlements around Narragansett Bay, and outside the jurisdiction of Plymouth colony. The settlements of Rhode Island ( Newport and Portsmouth ) were on Rhode Island, also known as Aquidneck Island . Providence Plantations referred to settlements on the mainland of Providence and Warwick . It

2691-572: Is that the new owners were more interested in awards, and less interested in traditional Courant devotion to exhaustive coverage of local news. The Courant won a 1992 Pulitzer Prize for inquiring into problems with the Hubble Space Telescope (a Connecticut company was involved in the construction), and it won a 1999 Pulitzer Prize in the Breaking News category for coverage of a 1998 murder-suicide that took five lives at Connecticut Lottery headquarters. A series of articles about sexual abuse by

2808-512: Is unclear how the island came to be named Rhode Island , but two historical events may have been influential: The earliest documented use of the name "Rhode Island" for Aquidneck was in 1637 by Roger Williams. The name was officially applied to the island in 1644 with these words: "Aquethneck shall be henceforth called the Isle of Rodes or Rhode-Island." The name "Isle of Rodes" is used in a legal document as late as 1646. Dutch maps as early as 1659 call

2925-478: The 1787 convention that had drafted the United States Constitution , which it initially refused to ratify; it finally ratified it on May 29, 1790, the last of the original 13 states to do so. The state was officially named the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations since the colonial era but came to be commonly known as "Rhode Island". On November 3, 2020, the state's voters approved an amendment to

3042-446: The 1938 New England hurricane , Hurricane Carol (1954), Hurricane Donna (1960), and Hurricane Bob (1991). Rhode Island is divided into five counties but it has no county governments. The entire state is divided into 39 municipalities, which handle all local government affairs. There are 8 cities and 31 towns in Rhode Island. Major population centers today result from historical factors; development took place predominantly along

3159-566: The American Civil War , Rhode Island was the first Union state to send troops in response to President Lincoln 's request for help from the states. Rhode Island furnished 25,236 fighting men, of whom 1,685 died. On the home front, Rhode Island and the other northern states used their industrial capacity to supply the Union Army with the materials it needed to win the war. The United States Naval Academy moved to Rhode Island temporarily during

3276-436: The American Revolution , in 1790 the new state incorporated as the "State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations". However, as matter of convenience, the state came to be commonly known as simply "Rhode Island". The word plantation in the state's name became a contested issue during the 20th century and the increased awareness of slavery and its role in early Rhode Island history. The General Assembly voted in 2009 to hold

3393-519: The Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Island Sound ; and shares a small maritime border with New York , east of Long Island . Rhode Island is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous , with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020 ; but it has grown at every decennial count since 1790 and is the second-most densely populated state , after New Jersey . The state takes its name from

3510-477: The Blackstone , Seekonk , and Providence Rivers with the advent of the water-powered mill. Providence is the base of a large metropolitan area. The state's 19 largest municipalities ranked by population are: Some of Rhode Island's cities and towns are further partitioned into villages, in common with many other New England states. Notable villages include Kingston in the town of South Kingstown, which houses

3627-673: The Colorado Silver Boom and the Leadville miners' strike ; these stories were published in May and June 1879. On the Colorado trip, Dow traveled with a team of Wall Street financiers and geologists, leading Dow to leave Providence for New York City in 1879 to advance his career as a reporter on mining stocks. In 1863, Danielson launched an evening edition, called the Evening Bulletin . In 1885,

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3744-574: The Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSICOP) presented reporter C. Eugene Emery Jr. with the Responsibility in Journalism Award for his researched claims of faith-healer Ralph A. DiOrio and wrote about the results in his journal. In the 1990s, rising production costs and declines in circulation prompted the Journal to consolidate both the bureaus and the editions. The editors tried to reinvigorate

3861-514: The Courant endorsed Ned Lamont in the Democratic primary as the only "credible" choice compared to rival Joe Ganim . The Courant went on to endorse independent candidate Oz Griebel in the general election. For the 2020 Presidential Election, The Courant weighed in, endorsing Democrat Joe Biden over Republican candidate Donald Trump . The Courant took a stronger stance in its 2020 endorsement against Trump than it did in 2016, arguing that

3978-488: The Courant was thrown out by a Connecticut Superior Court judge in July 2010. In his decision, Judge Marshall K. Berger Jr. remarked that newspaper owners and editors have a "paramount" right to "control [the] content of their papers," further observing that in his role at the Courant , Gombossy had "no constitutional right to publish anything." However, Gombossy's attorneys filed a second complaint, and Judge Berger reinstated

4095-450: The Courant' s Broad Street newsroom by the end of the year with no current plans to open another. On its website as of 2023, the Courant lists its mailing address as 100 Pearl Street in Hartford. In January 2024, it was announced Courant Community newspapers was to cease publication on Jan. 18. Journalist Denis Edward Horgan suggest that the title could derive from Dutch krant . The word, alternatively spelled courante , would be

4212-414: The Courant's two highest ranking editors were let go. After 2010, Courant has offered early retirement and buyout packages to reduce staff as it continues to experience declines in advertising revenue. There have also been layoffs and reduction in pages. Newsroom staff peaked in 1994 at close to 400 staff, down to 175 staff by 2008, and 135 staff in 2009. Tribune Company brought frequent changes in

4329-653: The Hartford Courant began banning users of the internet in the European Union from accessing its website because of its absence of data protection compliance. Rhode Island This is an accepted version of this page Rhode Island ( / ˌ r oʊ d -/ , pronounced "road") is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States . It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and

4446-581: The International Tennis Hall of Fame and features an active grass-court tennis club. Scenic Route 1A (known locally as Ocean Road) is in Narragansett . " The Towers " is also in Narragansett featuring a large stone arch. It was once the entrance to a famous Narragansett casino that burned down in 1900. The Towers now serve as an event venue and host the local Chamber of Commerce, which operates

4563-838: The Journal ' s coverage area, rich or poor, received a free staff-written obituary. Chief editorial writer George W. Potter won the Journal' s first Pulitzer Prize in 1945 for a series of essays, and the entire editorial staff won in 1953 for local deadline reporting. These were followed by Prizes in 1974 and 1994. During the 1970s, reporter Jack White , then manager of the Providence Journal-Bulletin bureau in Newport, Rhode Island , cultivated sources among Newport's elite. One source passed on to White evidence that President Richard Nixon had paid taxes amounting to $ 792.81 in 1970 and $ 878.03 in 1971, despite earning more than $ 400,000. White discovered that Nixon had illegally back-dated

4680-450: The Journal' s Monday through Friday circulation had dropped to 74,400, with an average of 99,100 on Sundays. Its website was getting 1.4 million unique users on an average month. The sale was completed on Sept. 3, 2014, as several employees, including widely respected columnist Bob Kerr, were told they would not be transferred to the new company. Bernie Szachara, senior vice president for publishing and group publisher at Local Media Group ,

4797-586: The Manufacturers' & Farmers' Journal, Providence & Pawtucket Advertiser in Providence, published twice per week. The paper's office was in the old Coffee House, at the corner of Market Square and Canal street. The paper moved many times over the next few decades as it grew. By 1829, demand for more timely news caused Miller to combine his existing publications into the Providence Daily Journal , published six days per week. The first edition of

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4914-557: The Massachusetts Bay Colony to establish a haven for religious liberty. He founded Providence in 1636 on land purchased from local tribes, creating the first settlement in North America with an explicitly secular government. The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations subsequently became a destination for religious and political dissenters and social outcasts, earning it the moniker "Rogue's Island". Rhode Island

5031-645: The New York Mirror . Another prominent editor of the Courant in the 20th century is Herbert Brucker . The Courant was purchased in 1979 by Times Mirror , the Los Angeles Times ' parent company, for $ 105.6 million. The first years of out-of-town ownership are described by Andrew Kreig, a former Courant reporter, in a book titled Spiked: How Chain Management Corrupted America's Oldest Newspaper. One criticism expressed by Kreig

5148-463: The Northeastern coastal forests ecoregion. Narragansett Bay is a major feature of the state's topography. There are more than 30 islands within the bay; the largest is Aquidneck Island , which holds the municipalities of Newport, Middletown, and Portsmouth. The second-largest island is Conanicut , and the third is Prudence . Block Island lies about 12 miles (19 km) off the southern coast of

5265-476: The Providence Journal was suffering from labor troubles, in which a "poisoned" workplace atmosphere led to a "talent hemorrhage." At least 35 news staffers left the paper between January 2000 and summer 2001, including 16 reporters, seven desk editors, two managerial staffers, and 10 administrative staff members. Publisher Howard Sutton denied there was a high turnover and called it normal attrition. In 2001

5382-487: The Rhode Island Democratic Party has dominated local politics. Rhode Island has comprehensive health insurance for low-income children and a large social safety net . However, many urban areas still have a high rate of child poverty. Due to an influx of residents from Boston , increasing housing costs have resulted in more homelessness in Rhode Island. The 350th Anniversary of the founding of Rhode Island

5499-562: The Touro Synagogue , dedicated on December 2, 1763, considered by locals to be the first synagogue within the United States (see below for information on New York City's claim), and still serving. The synagogue showcases the religious freedoms established by Roger Williams, as well as impressive architecture in a mix of the classic colonial and Sephardic style. The Newport Casino is a National Historic Landmark building complex that houses

5616-763: The slave trade during the post-revolution era. In 1774, the slave population of Rhode Island was 6.3% of the total (nearly twice the ratio of other New England colonies). Brown University was founded in 1764 as the College in the British Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. It was one of nine Colonial colleges granted charters before the American Revolution and was the first college in America to accept students regardless of religious affiliation. Rhode Island's tradition of independence and dissent gave it

5733-446: The state constitution formally dropping "and Providence Plantations" from its full name. Its official nickname is the "Ocean State", a reference to its 400 mi (640 km) of coastline and the large bays and inlets that make up about 14% of its area. Despite its name, most of Rhode Island is on the U.S. mainland. Its official name was State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations from its beginning in 1636 until 2020, and it

5850-511: The Brown University charter, and other state treasures. The First Baptist Church of Providence is the oldest Baptist church in the Americas, founded by Roger Williams in 1638. The first fully automated post office in the country is in Providence. There are many historic mansions in the seaside city of Newport, including The Breakers , Marble House , and Belcourt Castle . Also there is

5967-648: The Courant's top leadership. On November 18, 2013, Tribune appointed Nancy Meyer as publisher, succeeding Rich Graziano who left to become president and general manager of WPIX-TV (PIX11) in New York City. In 2014, the Courant purchased the ReminderNews chain of weekly newspapers. The Reminder name remained on the mastheads of all editions until November 2015, when the papers were redesigned and renamed Courant Community . On October 10, 2014, Tribune Company announced

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6084-542: The Hartford Courant were 2007 Pulitzer Prize Finalists in Investigative Reporting for their in-depth reporting on suicide rates among American soldiers in Iraq which led to congressional and military action addressing the issues raised in the series. The Hartford Courant Staff was a 2013 Pulitzer Prize Finalist for its comprehensive and compassionate coverage of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting . The paper

6201-492: The Internet version of the paper profitable. The Journal aggressively marketed its news on the web, pushing to get detailed stories onto its website, projo.com, before competing radio, television and other print outlets. But circulation continued to decline and online advertising failed to compensate. In June 2011, the Journal laid off more than a dozen employees and eliminated its Promotion Department which had internally handled

6318-527: The Irish culture. Before American entry into World War I , Journal publisher and Australian immigrant John R. Rathom attempted to stir up public sentiment in favor of the war against the Central Powers . He frequently published exposés of German subversive activities in the United States, claiming that the Journal had intercepted secret German communications. By 1920, it was revealed that Rathom's information

6435-671: The Knowles, Anthony & Danielson years, the paper became known for its strong support of the Republican Party, and became known by the nickname "The Republican Bible". The Republican party ruled the state for much of the mid-1800s, and the Journal was their mouthpiece. During the Danielson/Anthony years, the paper was solidly allied with textile mill owners and big business, and frequently gave support to nativist anti-Irish Catholic sentiment. In 1877, Danielson hired Charles Henry Dow ,

6552-415: The Narragansett Sachems Canonicus and Miantonomi . They were given a few items in reciprocity for their generosity. However, as Roger Williams made clear in a letter to John Winthrop in June 1638: "Sir, concerning the islands Prudence and…Aquedenick…neither of them were sold properly, for a thousand fathom would not have bought either, by strangers. The truth is, not a penny was demanded for either, and what

6669-432: The Narragansetts, precipitating a dispute with the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In 1644, Providence, Portsmouth, and Newport united for their common independence as the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations , governed by an elected council and "president". Gorton received a separate charter for his settlement in 1648 which he named Warwick after his patron. Metacomet was the Wampanoag tribe's war leader, whom

6786-538: The Providence Daily Journal appeared July 1, 1829. During the years 1863 to 1884 the Journal was published by Knowles, Anthony & Danielson. These were Joseph Knowles, George W. Danielson and Henry B. Anthony . During this period the paper would reach new heights of political influence, aligning itself with the Republican party and against Irish and Catholic immigrants. Anthony would become one of Rhode Island's most powerful politicians, and go on to serve as Governor of Rhode Island and United States Senator . During

6903-494: The Providence Newspaper Guild filed 44 charges of alleged unfair labor practices with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) between December 1999 and June 2001. Judge William G. Kocol held a hearing on the complaints and found in the union's favor on 28 complaints in his ruling. In June 2001, Livingston Award-winning former Journal reporter C.J. Chivers added to the allegations when he wrote an open letter to Belo chairman Robert Decherd , critical of Belo's management. In

7020-414: The Saturday editions of the Journal and Bulletin were combined to create the Journal-Bulletin , the Saturday edition was reset to become Volume 1, Number 1. The daily edition of the paper followed suit in 1995 (becoming Volume XXIII) upon the termination of the Evening Bulletin . In July 2017, the Journal announced it was reverting to the original volume numbering. The Friday, July 21, 2017, edition of

7137-400: The University of Rhode Island; Wickford in the town of North Kingstown, the site of an annual international art festival; and Wakefield where the Town Hall is for the Town of South Kingstown. The state capitol building is made of white Georgian marble. On top is the world's fourth largest self-supported marble dome. It houses the Rhode Island Charter granted by King Charles II in 1663,

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7254-460: The Weekly Intelligencer (1778 to 1791), then reverted to the original form The Connecticut Courant from 1791 to 1914, when the publication ceased. In 1837, John L. Boswell, who had become the printer proprietor of The Connecticut Courant the previous year (until 1849), started also the publication of The Daily Courant . In 1840, the title would be changed to The Hartford Daily Courant , to finally become The Hartford Courant in 1887. Based on

7371-420: The appointment of Rick Daniels as publisher of the Courant, succeeding Nancy Meyer, who was promoted to publisher and CEO of the Orlando Sentinel. Andrew Julien was named the combined publisher and editor in March 2016, replacing Tom Wiley, who departed after two months. In 2018, the Hartford Courant joined more than 300 newspapers in releasing editorials in response to President's Trump's anti-media rhetoric,

7488-427: The colonists called King Philip. They invaded and burned down several of the towns in the area during King Philip's War (1675–1676), including Providence which was attacked twice. A force of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Plymouth militia under General Josiah Winslow invaded and destroyed the fortified Narragansett Indian village in the Great Swamp in South Kingstown, Rhode Island on December 19, 1675. In one of

7605-405: The complaint. The case headed to trial in the fall of 2011. "In late 2011 the suit was resolved," according to Gombossy's CTWatchdog website. In September 2009 the Courant's publisher, Richard Graziano, publicly apologized as the newspaper accepted a plagiarism charge. Competitors had accused the Courant of taking its content without permission and refusing to give proper credit. In 2018,

7722-419: The corner of Market Square and Canal street. In 1823 it moved to the Union building, on the west side of the bridge, and in the following year to the Granite building, Market Square. In May, 1833, the office moved again to the Whipple building on College Street. From 1844 to 1871, the paper was housed at the Washington buildings. In July, 1871 the paper moved to the Barton block on Weybosset Street. In May, 1889,

7839-410: The country (as well as cable television systems under the banner of Colony Communications; these systems were sold to Continental Cablevision in 1995), it was sold to the Dallas-based Belo Corp. in 1996. Belo also owned several television stations. The company later split into two entities and one, A. H. Belo , took control of the newspapers. On Dec. 4, 2013, A. H. Belo announced that it was seeking

7956-501: The coverage of city and town news in 1996, but competition from the Internet added fuel to the decline. In 1997, the Livingston Award , sometimes called the "Pulitzer Prize for the Young", was awarded to Journal reporter C. J. Chivers for International Reporting for his series on the collapse of commercial fishing in the North Atlantic. Chivers, aged 32 when he won the award, left the Journal in 1999 to go to The New York Times . In 2001, reports in industry journals suggested that

8073-452: The defeat of the British at the Siege of Yorktown and the Battle of the Chesapeake . Rhode Island was also heavily involved in the Industrial Revolution , which began in America in 1787 when Thomas Somers reproduced textile machine plans which he imported from England. He helped to produce the Beverly Cotton Manufactory , in which Moses Brown of Providence took an interest. Moses Brown teamed up with Samuel Slater and helped to create

8190-429: The donation of his papers to the National Archives , in order to avoid a new law which made such donations ineligible for tax deductions. The night he was prepared to write the story, in September 1973, the union representing reporters at the newspaper voted to go on strike . White would later recall rolling the story out of his typewriter, folding it up and putting it in his wallet. He said he never thought about giving

8307-414: The entire original name. In June 2020, State Senator Harold Metts introduced a resolution for another ballot referendum on the subject, saying, "Whatever the meaning of the term 'plantations' in the context of Rhode Island's history, it carries a horrific connotation when considering the tragic and racist history of our nation." Governor Gina Raimondo issued an executive order to remove the phrase from

8424-468: The eponymous island , though nearly all its land area is on the mainland. Providence is its capital and most populous city. Native Americans lived around Narragansett Bay before English settlers began arriving in the early 17th century. Rhode Island was unique among the Thirteen British Colonies in having been founded by a refugee, Roger Williams , who fled religious persecution in

8541-809: The final actions of the war, an Indian associated with Benjamin Church killed King Philip in Bristol, Rhode Island . The colony was amalgamated into the Dominion of New England in 1686, as King James II attempted to enforce royal authority over the autonomous colonies in British North America , but the colony regained its independence under the Royal Charter after the Glorious Revolution of 1688. Slaves were introduced in Rhode Island at this time, although there

8658-685: The head of a worldwide Catholic order, published since February 1997, constituted the first denunciation of Marciel Maciel known to a wider audience. In 2000, Times Mirror and the Courant became part of the Tribune Company , one of the world's largest multimedia companies. By then the Courant had acquired the Valley Advocate group of "alternative" weeklies started by two former Courant staff members in 1973. Tribune also owned two local television stations: Fox affiliate WTIC-TV and The CW affiliate WCCT-TV . In 2005, The Courant became

8775-434: The iPad for free. The paywall was put in place on February 28, 2012. The new website was part of a larger rebranding project by Nail Communications which also included a campaign entitled "We Work For The Truth". The rebranding failed to stem the circulation decline. Throughout most of its history, the paper was privately owned. After the Journal became publicly traded and had acquired several television stations throughout

8892-494: The infrastructure to support them. In 2014, Rhode Island received grants of $ 2,711,685 from the Environmental Protection Agency to clean up Brownfield sites in eight locations. The grants provided communities with funding to assess, clean up, and redevelop contaminated properties, boost local economies, and leverage jobs while protecting public health and the environment. In 2013, the "Lots of Hope" program

9009-506: The island "Red Island" ( Roodt Eylandt ). The first English settlement in Rhode Island was the town of Providence, which the Narragansett granted to Roger Williams in 1636. At that time, Williams obtained no permission from the English crown, as he believed the English had no legitimate claim on Narragansett and Wampanoag territory. Williams traveled to London in 1643, during the English Civil War, to obtain legal recognition of

9126-632: The last of the thirteen colonies to ratify the United States Constitution on May 29, 1790, and only under threat of heavy trade tariffs from the other former colonies and after assurances were made that a Bill of Rights would become part of the Constitution. During the Revolution, the British occupied Newport in December 1776. A combined Franco-American force fought to drive them off Aquidneck Island. Portsmouth

9243-405: The letter he expressed concern that poor management was responsible for the departure of 57 employees. He accused management of "assuming a counterproductive attitude toward its staff," which included fights over expenses, and over-reliance on freelancers and interns. Executive Editor Alan Rosenberg retired in December 2020 after four decades, replaced by David Ng. In the face of declining revenue,

9360-461: The mainland and separates Block Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean proper. A rare type of rock called Cumberlandite is found only in Rhode Island (specifically, in the town of Cumberland ) and is the state rock. There were initially two known deposits of the mineral, but it is an ore of iron, and one of the deposits was extensively mined for its ferrous content. Most of Rhode Island has

9477-617: The managing editor in 1919. His energetic and often sensationalistic news style upset Charles Clark , the owner and editor. Clark fired Gauvreau when the journalist refused to stop a series of stories about false medical diplomas . Gauvreau would become later on a major figure in the New York City tabloid wars of the Roaring Twenties as the first managing editor of the New York Evening Graphic and later managing editor of

9594-758: The most recent American newspaper to win the Society for News Design 's World's Best Designed Newspaper award. In 2006, the paper's investigation into mental health and suicides among Americans serving in the Iraq war was featured in the PBS documentary series Exposé: America's Investigative Reports in an episode entitled "Question 7." In late June 2006, the Tribune Co. announced that Courant publisher Jack W. Davis Jr. would be replaced by Stephen D. Carver, vice president and general manager of Atlanta, Ga., TV station WATL. In March 2009, Tribune replaced Carver with Richard Graziano, who

9711-590: The new settlements. A Patent was granted to "the incorporation of Providence Plantations in Narragansett Bay in New England" by the Parliamentary committee on Foreign Plantations . After the English Civil war, a Royal Charter was granted in 1663, giving the colony an official name of the "Governor and Company of the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in New England, in America." Following

9828-565: The newspaper was set to become Vol. CLXXXIX, No. 1, to mark the first paper of the 189th year. Hartford Courant The Hartford Courant is the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Connecticut , and is advertised as the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States . A morning newspaper serving most of the state north of New Haven and east of Waterbury , its headquarters on Broad Street in Hartford, Connecticut

9945-534: The newspaper's marketing and community affairs events for decades. On Oct. 18, 2011, with circulation down to about 94,000 on weekdays and 129,000 on Sundays (down from 164,000 and over 231,000 in 2005), the Journal renamed its website providencejournal.com, a move which meant that most of the previous Internet links to its content no longer worked. It also began implementing a system to require online readers to pay for content. Interactive images of its newspaper pages were initially available on personal computers and on

10062-532: The noted Boston firm of Peabody & Stearns . It was completed in 1906. The Journal moved in 1934 to its present building on Fountain Street where the original Benny's store was located. The Providence Journal has been sold for $ 3 daily since the spring of 2019. It is $ 5 on Sundays and Thanksgiving Day and is higher outside Rhode Island and adjacent states. Through the paper's long history, there have been some inconsistencies in its volume numbering. In 1972, when

10179-423: The notion that the daily publication was an offshoot of the weekly Connecticut Courant , the newspaper board adopted in 2018 the motto "Older than the nation" as its slogan. Other newspapers claim to be the oldest in the country. The New Hampshire Gazette , which started publication in 1756, trademarked the slogan of oldest paper in the nation after being revived as a small biweekly paper in 1989. Prior to 1989,

10296-486: The only competing Providence-based daily, the Star-Tribune , went bankrupt and was sold. The Providence Journal company bought it and kept it running for four months, then shut it down. The paper also had a variety of regional editions, which it called "zones", that focused on city and town news. The system produced an intense focus on local news typically seen only in small-town newspapers. For example, everyone who died in

10413-490: The paper began charging for obituaries on January 4, 2005. The paper's last Massachusetts edition was published on March 10, 2006. On Oct. 10, 2008, the paper stopped publishing all of its zoned editions in Rhode Island and laid off 33 news staffers, including three managers. Even during the Great Depression, the Journal had not terminated news staff to cut costs. The next few years included an extensive campaign to make

10530-502: The paper had all but disappeared into other publications for most of the 20th century, which makes the slogan doubtful. The New York Post also claims to be the oldest continuously published daily newspaper. However, even though the Post started daily publishing 35 years before The Connecticut Courant did, the Courant existed as a weekly paper for nearly 40 years before the New York Post

10647-563: The paper purchased the Fletcher building at the corner of Westminster, Eddy and Fulton Streets. In 1905 the paper announced its move from Eddy Street to a brand new building next door at the corner of Eddy and Westminster St. The old building was demolished, and the new building extended over the site of the old. The ornate new building was designed in the Beaux-Arts style by Robert Swain Peabody of

10764-611: The property requirement, effectively disenfranchising many Irish-Americans and maintaining urban under-representation. In 1849, in Luther v. Borden , the US Supreme Court declined to rule on the constitutional question raised in Dorr's rebellion, holding that it was a political question outside its jurisdiction. In the early 19th century, Rhode Island was subject to a tuberculosis outbreak which led to public hysteria about vampirism . During

10881-636: The publisher of USA Today . This purchase established GateHouse as the largest newspaper company in the United States "by far," and also provided the Providence Journal with access to publish stories from the USA Today network of newspapers. In October 2015, average daily paid circulation was 89,452 on Sundays and 70,600 on weekdays. By June 2017, circulation was down to about 72,000 on Sundays and 56,000 on weekdays. In 2021 those figures dropped to 38,500 on Sundays and 29,957 weekdays; by contrast, both figures in 1990 were over 200,000. In December 2022, as part of

10998-601: The results. At the onset of European colonization what is now Rhode Island was inhabited mainly by five Native American tribes - by far most of the state's territory was inhabited by the Narragansett , eastern borderlands were occupied by the Wampanoag , south-western coast by the Niantic , western borderlands by the Pequot and northern borderlands by the Nipmuc . In 1636, Roger Williams

11115-433: The second cotton mill in America, a water-powered textile mill. The Industrial Revolution moved large numbers of workers into the cities. With the 1663 colonial charter still in effect, voting was restricted to landowners holding at least $ 134 in property. At the time of the revolution, 80% of White men in Rhode Island could vote; by 1840, only 40% were still eligible. The charter apportioned legislative seats equally among

11232-400: The south by Rhode Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean. It shares a narrow maritime border with New York State between Block Island and Long Island . The state's mean elevation is 200 feet (61 m). It is only 37 miles (60 km) wide and 48 miles (77 km) long, yet the state has a tidal shoreline on Narragansett Bay and the Atlantic Ocean of 384 miles (618 km). Rhode Island

11349-419: The state's towns, over-representing rural areas and under-representing the growing industrial centers. Additionally, the charter disallowed landless citizens from filing civil suits without endorsement from a landowner. Bills were periodically introduced in the legislature to expand suffrage, but they were invariably defeated. In 1841, activists led by Thomas W. Dorr organized an extralegal convention to draft

11466-524: The state. In response, the legislature drafted a state constitution which replaced property requirements for American-born citizens with a $ 1 poll tax , equivalent to $ 32 in 2023. In a heavily boycotted election in November 1842, voters approved the constitution. Voters also declined to limit the change to "white" men, thus re-enfranchising Black men—Black men meeting the property requirements had been able to vote in Rhode Island until 1822. The constitution also ended slavery. Immigrants remained subject to

11583-428: The story to management, even though he risked missing the story. Twelve days later, the strike ended, and the story ran on October 3, 1973. At an Associated Press Managing Editors convention the following month, Journal reporter Joseph Ungaro asked Nixon about the story. Nixon replied with a quote that was to become associated with him for the rest of his life: "People have got to know whether or not their president

11700-690: The war, the state was hit hard by the Spanish Influenza . In the 1920s and 1930s, rural Rhode Island saw a surge in Ku Klux Klan membership, largely in reaction to large waves of immigrants moving to the state. The Klan is believed to be responsible for burning the Watchman Industrial School in Scituate , which was a school for African-American children. Since the Great Depression ,

11817-505: The war. In 1866, Rhode Island abolished racial segregation in the public schools throughout the state. The 50 years following the Civil War were a time of prosperity and affluence that author William G. McLoughlin calls "Rhode Island's halcyon era". Rhode Island was a center of the Gilded Age and provided a home or summer home to many of the country's most prominent industrialists. This was

11934-525: Was a short walk from the state capitol . It reports regional news with a chain of bureaus in smaller cities and a series of local editions. It also operates CTNow , a free local weekly newspaper and website. The Courant began as a weekly called the Connecticut Courant on October 29, 1764, becoming daily in 1837. In 1979, it was bought by the Times Mirror Company . In 2000, Times Mirror

12051-474: Was acquired by the Tribune Company , which later combined the paper's management and facilities with those of a Tribune-owned Hartford television station . The Courant and other Tribune print properties were spun off to a new corporate parent, Tribune Publishing , separate from the station, in 2014. Tribune Publishing agreed in May 2021 to be acquired by Alden Global Capital , which operates its media properties through Digital First Media . The transaction

12168-579: Was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for his religious views, and he settled at the top of Narragansett Bay on land sold or given to him by Narragansett sachem Canonicus . He named the site Providence, "having a sense of God's merciful providence unto me in my distress", and it became a place of religious freedom where all were welcome. In 1638 (after conferring with Williams), Anne Hutchinson , William Coddington , John Clarke , Philip Sherman , and other religious dissenters were allowed to settle on Aquidneck Island (also known as Rhode Island), by

12285-537: Was celebrated with a free concert held on the tarmac of the Quonset State Airport on August 31, 1986. Performers included Chuck Berry , Tommy James , and headliner Bob Hope . Rhode Island covers an area of 1,034 square miles (2,678 km ) within the New England region of the Northeastern United States and is bordered on the north and east by Massachusetts, on the west by Connecticut, and on

12402-726: Was discontinued, and its name was appended onto that of the morning paper: The Providence Journal-Bulletin . Starting in 1925, the Journal became the first in the country to expand coverage statewide. It had news bureaus throughout Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts , a trend that had been inaugurated in 1925 by then-managing editor Sevellon Brown. Bureaus in Westerly , South Kingstown , Warwick , West Warwick , Greenville , Pawtucket , Woonsocket , Newport , Bristol / Warren in Rhode Island, and Attleboro and Fall River , in Massachusetts, were designed to make sure that reporters were only 20 minutes away from breaking news. In 1937,

12519-771: Was established in the City of Providence to focus on increasing the city's green space and local food production, improve urban neighborhoods, promote healthy lifestyles and improve environmental sustainability. Supported by a $ 100,000 grant, the program will partner with the City of Providence, the Southside Community Land Trust, and the Rhode Island Foundation to convert city-owned vacant lots into productive urban farms. In 2012, Rhode Island passed bill S2277/H7412, "An act relating to Health and Safety – Environmental Cleanup Objectives for Schools", informally known as

12636-596: Was finalized on May 25, 2021. According to the Library of Congress' database of U.S. newspapers, the origins of the Hartford Courant intertwines with the publication of the weekly Connecticut Courant . Founded by Thomas Green, the Connecticut Courant was first published on October 29, 1764. In the years following 1774, the title of the paper would be changed to The Connecticut Courant and Hartford Weekly Intelligencer , later simplified to The Connecticut Courant, and

12753-495: Was founded, making the Courant older. Also The Providence Journal claims to be the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the United States: the Journal began daily publishing 28 years after the New York Post , but some critics point at strikes at the Post in 1958 and 1978 as breaks in its continuity. Regardless, The Connecticut Courant existed as a weekly paper for nearly 70 years before The Providence Journal

12870-519: Was founded. In 1867, Joseph Roswell Hawley , a leading Republican politician and former governor of Connecticut , bought the newspaper, which he combined with the Press. Under his editorship, the Courant became the most influential newspaper in Connecticut and one of the leading Republican papers in the country. An eminent figure of the Courant is Emile Gauvreau , who became a reporter in 1916, and

12987-407: Was given a dual role as Courant publisher and general manager of Tribune's two Hartford television stations. In May of the same year, Tribune announced that Jeff Levine, a newspaper executive with a background in marketing, would become "director of content" and that the editor or "print platform manager" of the Courant would report to Levine as would the news director of WTIC-TV. Shortly after that,

13104-587: Was given exclusive access originally to the investigative files collected by the FBI on the shooter's life, growing up. The paper endorsed George W. Bush in both the 2000 and the 2004 Presidential elections . In the 2012 Presidential Election, the Courant endorsed President Barack Obama for a second term over Republican Mitt Romney . The Courant weighed in on the contentious and antagonistic 2016 Presidential Election, endorsing Democrat Hillary Clinton over Republican candidate Donald Trump . In August 2018

13221-460: Was paid was only gratuity, though I chose, for better assurance and form, to call it sale." This settlement was first called Pocasset and then changed in 1639 to Portsmouth . The town was governed by the Portsmouth Compact . The island's southern part became the separate settlement of Newport after disagreements among the founders. Samuel Gorton purchased lands at Shawomet in 1642 from

13338-460: Was supplied by British intelligence agents. Nonetheless, Rathom remained editor until his death in 1923. William H. Garrison joined the staff in 1914, and became the publisher and vice president four years later, in 1918. He and his partners sold the paper to Senator Peter G. Gerry in 1923. The Journal dropped "Daily" from its name and became The Providence Journal in 1920. In 1992, the Bulletin

13455-513: Was the first colony to call for a Continental Congress , in 1774, and the first to renounce its allegiance to the British Crown , on May 4, 1776. After the American Revolution , during which it was heavily occupied and contested, Rhode Island became the fourth state to ratify the Articles of Confederation , on February 9, 1778. Because its citizens favored a weaker central government, it boycotted

13572-697: Was the site of the first African-American military unit, the 1st Rhode Island Regiment , to fight for the U.S. in the unsuccessful Battle of Rhode Island of August 29, 1778. A month earlier, the appearance of a French fleet off Newport caused the British to scuttle some of their own ships in an attempt to block the harbor. The British abandoned Newport in October 1779, concentrating their forces in New York City. An expedition of 5,500 French troops under Count Rochambeau arrived in Newport by sea on July 10, 1780. The celebrated march to Yorktown, Virginia , in 1781 ended with

13689-458: Was −23 °F (−31 °C) on February 5, 1996, in Greene . Monthly average temperatures range from a high of 83 °F (28 °C) to a low of 20 °F (−7 °C). Rhode Island is vulnerable to tropical storms and hurricanes due to its location in New England, catching the brunt of many storms that blow up the eastern seaboard. Hurricanes that have done significant damage in the state include

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