#MergerMondays: Rhode Island PBS + The Public’s Radio

Does Nieman Lab have a crystal ball? Maybe.

A couple months ago, I shared their predication that consolidation in nonprofit journalism would be a trend in 2024.

Back then, it was Mother Jones who had announced their merger with The Center for Investigative Reporting at the tail end of 2023.

In Rhode Island, the planned merger between Rhode Island PBS and The Public’s Radio is a big one - perhaps evidence of things to come. Thanks to Dan McGowen, you can get a front row seat to how this is unfolding: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/02/21/metro/closer-look-merger-between-rhode-island-pbs-publics-radio/

And if you’re a nonprofit merger nerd like me, you might even be interested in the 443-page application. If you just want the highlights, I highly recommend subscribing to The Boston Globe’s Rhode Map. But just in case you missed it, here are the interesting tidbits that McGowen pulled out - with a bit of added commentary and some lessons learned for your own merger exploration:

Tips and lessons learned from other nonprofit mergers.

As we wade though this election year, media and information is on my mind. From what I’ve seen of thoughtful consolidations, I’m hopeful that this one helps provide better access to honest journalism. We still need to do something about our local news deserts, but from where I sit, collaboration is definitely a key piece of the puzzle.