Seeing a strong demand for local news, Veteran R.I. journalists launch South County Star
There’s a new player in Rhode Island’s local news scene.
Veteran Rhode Island journalists Nancy Burns-Fusaro and Alex Nunes recently launched the South County Star, a nonprofit digital news outlet covering southern Rhode Island and southeastern Connecticut.
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Burns is a longtime arts and culture journalist and professor at the University of Rhode Island. She was most recently a columnist for the Westerly Sun. Nunes is an award-winning public media journalist who most recently was managing editor of the Westerly Sun.
We asked them to answer a few questions about their new project, and they responded jointly.
Q: You’ve spent most of your career around print journalism. What made you decide to start a digital news outlet?
Burns-Fusaro and Nunes: We see a strong demand – and a need – for a trusted, locally-based digital news source here in southern Rhode Island and southeastern Connecticut. We believe there’s an opportunity to provide more consistent coverage of the people, issues and communities people care about and we’re excited to help meet that need through high-quality public-service journalism. It’s also exhilarating to be on the cutting edge of something so exciting, new and necessary.
Q: I sometimes feel like starting a news organization is a little like running a political campaign in the sense that you always get an initial wave of support from your closest friends. The key to success is sustaining that support over a long period of time. How will you judge your success?
Burns-Fusaro and Nunes: By the number of people who support us and whether people come to rely upon us. While audience growth is important, what really matters is whether residents see South County Star as a trusted source of information. We’re very encouraged by the early response and are seeing strong engagement. People have been reaching out with story ideas and helpful feedback and our newsletter is getting more and more subscribers by the day.
We are continuing to receive the donations necessary to help us meet our initial goal. (We received a generous commitment for a matching gift of $30,000!) For us, these are good signs we’re building something local people value and want.
Q: Local news organizations often have to balance being deeply connected to a community while also holding that community accountable. How do you think about that tension?
Burns-Fusaro and Nunes: We think the tension is healthy and that balance is built over time through consistent reporting and a genuine commitment to serving the public. Local journalism isn’t just about holding institutions accountable; it’s also about helping people understand and connect with their communities. When people see your work is fair, accurate, and motivated by the public interest, they come to respect both roles.
Q: What’s one thing about local journalism that people outside the industry consistently misunderstand?
Burns-Fusaro and Nunes: People often assume reporters have agendas that simply aren’t there. Social media can amplify that perception because it encourages people to view everything through a political lens. We have found that when journalists spend time talking with people face-to-face, those assumptions tend to fade. It’s much easier to build trust when people know you personally and know your family.
Q: What’s the most undercovered story happening in South County right now?
Burns-Fusaro and Nunes: Development. Stories related to growth – housing, coastal development, solar projects, and land use decisions are shaping the future of our communities and affect everything from affordability and environmental protection to infrastructure and quality of life, which is why they deserve sustained coverage.
This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you’d like to receive it via email Monday through Friday, you can sign up here.
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