Updated Patch RI Contact Info

As you've probably noticed by now, Patch in Rhode Island has gone through some significant changes as of late.

In the coming months, the site will be going through a major overhaul and redesign and we'll be slowly rebuilding our editorial crew to improve the amount of original news we're reporting from the towns we serve.

In the meantime, any and all press releases, story ideas, photos, news tips and any other information that you'd like to see posted on the Patch can be sent to me, Mark Schieldrop, editor of Rhode Island Patch.

My email address is: mark.schieldrop@patch.com

Call me at 401-515-3660.

Follow me on Twitter: @MarkSchieldrop

Right now, I'm the lone person managing all the Patch sites in the state and there's no question it's a big job, especially with so many important issues affecting each town we cover.

That's why I'm asking for your help. I can't make every town and city meeting, nor can I devote all of my attention on one town for very long before another issue demands attention somewhere else. 

If I'm missing something important, or if there's a great story that needs to be told in your town, please reach out and let me know. I'll do my best to follow through on anything and everything that comes my way.

With 15 Patch sites in Rhode Island, I have to be tactical and smart with my coverage and time management. Though I've been a journalist for more than a decade and know a good story when I see it, I'm going to miss things due to the fact there's so much happening across the state every day. 

That's why I need you to send me emails or call me to tell me when something is happening in your town and it deserves coverage. I spend time every day sifting through meeting agendas, calendars and other places to find out what's going on, but that's no replacement for walking the streets and talking to people. Each week, I spend time in most of the towns we cover to pick up police reports, stop by a small business or two and cover local events. I'd love to pencil in a stop by your place of business, your office or your event in those travels. So drop me a line and let me know!

I know that many Patch readers grew to depend on their local Patch for daily news and oodles of local information from their former local editor. There are many people who are disappointed in the changes and the loss of Patch staff. Trust me, I know. As the founding editor of Cranston Patch, I enjoyed my three-and-a-half years devoting 100 percent of my time and attention to that great city. I built a loyal audience who supports me, relies on me to get them the facts. While other media outlets swooped in and sensationalized the big issues in the city, I dutifully gave Cranston readers a calm, level-headed explanation because that's what they deserve.

That strong relationship between myself and my readers is what makes for a good Patch site. And the good Patch sites in Rhode Island benefited from the same kind of relationship. Though I can't give each site the same time and attention they might have had in the past, I am extending my hand and offering you the same dedication and loyalty I've given the city of Cranston since I joined Patch in 2010.

In the coming months, we should be making some exciting and important announcements that will better serve your community. In the short term, I'll be working as hard as I can to do as much as I can to serve you. I know that isn't good enough for some people, and to them I say I'm sorry. 

But over the past few weeks, I've had a lot of people contact me to express support and encouragement as well as sending me story ideas and tips. I appreciate the continued support.

A little about me:

I'm 35, married and the father of a nearly four-year-old girl. I live in Cranston and have been a journalist for more than a decade. Many people in South County will remember me for my time at the South County Independent, where I covered South Kingstown and Narragansett for years and years. I graduated South Kingstown High School in 1996. My mom and dad are hard working small business owners in Charlestown and we moved to Rhode Island when I was five. Politically, I'm neither liberal or conservative, Republican or Democrat. I love writing about crime and police as well as features that attempt to convey the human condition. 

Thanks for reading. And thanks for the support.