About
Hi. My name is Bob Plain. I am a journalist who has worked in both print and radio. But, having successfully made the transition to the internet, I am primarily a digital reporter and storyteller.
Most recently, I was the Digital Program Director for WPRO, a well-regarded radio station in Rhode Island. I have also been an editor and a reporter for several daily newspapers and started two very successful local news websites.
My career ambition is to help change the way news consumers access and interact with media, to help usher in the era of convergence and to make media more democratic. I have a passion for using a variety of tools and techniques to interest, engage and educate content consumers, including using social networks.
Thanks.
Education
- Fellow, Knight Digital Media Center. Graduate School of Journalism, University of California, Berkeley. December, 2009
- Bachelor of Arts, Journalism. University of Rhode Island. With an emphasis in political science, history and philosophy. 1997
Journalism Experience
630WPRO.com: Digital Program Director. East Providence, R.I., May 2011 – November 2011.
- I started at this popular news radio station as the digital reporter, responsible for a daily news blog and leading our social media efforts, and was quickly promoted to being the editor (or in radio parlance, program director) of the station’s web efforts.My position was eliminated when Cumulus Media Inc. purchased WPRO’s parent company and made budget cuts.
- I created daily stories and spots for both broadcast and the web.
- I covered the Statehouse beat and quickly became the go-to reporter, assigned to whatever was the biggest news story of the day, despite being new to broadcast journalism.
- I instructed and energized my colleagues in the use of various social media platforms. As a result, WPRO became very well-regarded in its use of Twitter.
East Greenwich Patch: Editor. East Greenwich, R.I., September 2010 – May 2011.
- I was the founding editor of East Greenwich Patch, one of the 30 Patch sites out of almost 800 in the network that have been identified by AOL as model sites.
- When I left, EG Patch had the highest user engagement numbers in the entire company and among the largest daily audience despite covering one of the smaller communities.
- While continuing to run the precursor to EG Patch, My02818.com, I simultaneously built this site and worked with a team from corporate headquarters to transition My02818 into the Patch platform. My02818 is the first and still only media property to be purchased and transitioned into the Patch network.
- I created multimedia content and update the homepage with at least three to four new stories seven days a week and managed a freelance staff, including teaching them to do multimedia reporting.
My02818.com: Managing Editor. East Greenwich, R.I., October 2008 – September 2010.
- I helped conceive, build, design, develop, staff, market, monetize and lead this hyperlocal news website and small business from its inception.
- In less than two years, My02818 developed a loyal following of about 2,000 daily unique visitors covering a community of only 13,000 residents.
- My02818 was twice named “Best Local Web site” in Rhode Island Monthly’s annual Best of Rhode Island reader’s poll.
- My02818 is the only news website to be transitioned into the Patch network, and my contributions helped ensure that this effort will be used as a model for future transitions.
Brattleboro Reformer: Features Writer/Copy Editor. Brattleboro, Vt., March 2008 – September 2008.
- I functioned as the deputy night editor, responsible for laying out pages and copy editing all stories on a tight deadlines.
- Wrote two long-form feature stories a week, one of which was typically The Reformer’s weekend edition centerpiece. I helped develop this new beat.
Ashland Daily Tidings: Reporter. Ashland, Ore., January 2005 – October 2007.
- I served a stint on every beat in the newsroom, covering police, planning, education, the environment, City Hall, state politics, feature stories and the local economy.
Other Journalism Experience
- PlainTruthPress.com. Publisher/Blogger. Jan. 2004 – July 2005. A blog I built in HTML and updated every day in my free time.
- Jamestown Press. Reporter. Jamestown, R.I., Aug. 2002 – Dec. 2004.
- Hardwick Gazette. Reporter. Hardwick, Vt., May 1999 – Dec. 1999.
- South County Independent. Freelance Reporter/Sports Reporter. Wakefield, R.I., Sept. 1997 – May 1998.
- Jackson Hole Guide. Summer Sports Reporter/Editor. Jackson, Wyo., May ’97 – Sept. ’97.
- Narragansett Times/East Greenwich Pendulum. Reporter/Sports Reporter. Wakefield, R.I., Sept. ’96 – May ’97. Freelance
- Block Island Times. Summer Intern/Staff Reporter. New Shoreham, R.I., May ’96 – Oct. ’96.
Digital Proficiencies
- I am one of the most-followed journalist-tweeps in the Rhode Island media market, and have started many popular Facebook pages for a wide variety of news organizations.
- Mastered, and trained others to work with, several different content management systems.
- HTML, WordPress, Google Sites, Storify
- Photoshop, Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro, Dreamweaver, Flash
- SEO training while a fellow at the Knight Digital Media Center.
- Interactive maps, timelines, charts and other digital storytelling techniques.
Awards and Honors
- Fellow, Knight Digital Media Center. Graduate School of Journalism, University of California, Berkeley. December, 2009.
- Best Local Web Site, My02818.com, 2009 and 2010. Rhode Island Monthly annual “Best of Rhode Island” reader’s poll.
- Best Local Reporter. 2006. Sneak Preview (A monthly news magazine in Ashland, Ore.) annual “Best of Ashland” issue.
- Newspaper of the Year (Ashland Daily Tidings). 2005. Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association.
- Public Service Journalism award. 2005. Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association. I was recognized for a series of stories I wrote about a mayor’s decision to block municipal employees from speaking with reporters.
References
Clips
- RI income disparity: Top 4% earn more than $200,000 (October 2011) This post shows my ability to investigate complex subjects over and beyond the daily news cycle.
- A history of Occupy Providence(October 2011) I created this interactive timeline of all my stories, and others produced by WPRO, on Occupy Providence.
- WPRO’s Bob Plain arrested at Occupy Boston (October 2011) WPRO wrote this story after I was swept up in the mass arrests while reporting on Occupy Boston. (Audio was removed because of request from corporate.)
- Circumnavigating Jamestown by bike(September 2011) A Storify of my tweets from my bike trek around Conanicut Island.
- Mr. Plain goes to Washington(August 2011) The page WPRO created for my trip to cover the debt ceiling debate in Congress.
- How Central Falls became a city (August 2011) This piece shows my ability to research and document historical events that relate to current events.
- Town Council considers anti-bullying ordinance (January 2011) This preview story depicts my penchant for independently identifying public service issues.
- Town Council backs off anti-bullying ordinance (January 2011) As a result of the previous story, the Council decided not to pursue the idea.
- Outsource company bought on same day as school group vote (June 2010) This story is an example of my skill in breaking important news, even when public officials are trying to keep such information from the public.
- Public projects during boom increase recession-era taxes (March 2010) This piece is an example of my ability to synthesize complex economic issues and correlate them with public service issues.
- Lawn watering stresses local water supply, future growth (March 2009) This is an example of investigative, public service journalism.
About Bob
I’m 37 years old and, after years of living all over the country, am very surprised to find myself living in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, my hometown.
After living in Hawaii, Oregon, California, Wyoming, New York and Vermont (twice!), I came back here to start a news website in 2008. In 2010, it was bought by AOL and after transitioning the original into a Patch site, I became the digital reporter at a well-regarded news and talk radio station in the Providence media market.
I love to garden, and also enjoy camping, being in the woods, riding my bike, tinkering in my yard, and following national and local politics like it’s a soap opera.
My favorite leisure-time activity is listening to a Red Sox game or NPR while sitting on my porch either playing the guitar or reading. I am a voracious consumer of news.
When I was younger, I spent several seasons working on various organic farms in Vermont and California. I once spent a winter camping on a beach in Maui. I have also built houses, milked cows, cut firewood, and have lived off the grid with solar power for running water and lights.
I am fascinated by the power and potential of the internet, and am truly excited to develop new and better ways to do digital journalism.