Rhode Island Public Radio has hired Lynn Arditi, a longtime award-winning reporter at The Providence Journal, as the station’s new health reporter. She starts in the new role August 15.
Arditi joins RIPR after more than three decades as a reporter, including 28 years at the ProJo, where she has covered a variety of beats, most recently health care.
A native of New York City, she graduated from Oberlin College with a degree in government and has worked as a staff writer for The Center for Investigative Reporting in Washington, D.C. and as a reporter for the former Holyoke Transcript-Telegram in Massachusetts.
“As a devout public radio listener, I’m thrilled to join the terrific team at Rhode Island Public Radio,” Arditi said. “At a time of so much uncertainty about the future of health care in Rhode Island and the country, public radio’s mission of creating a more informed public with a deeper understanding of the issues feels more crucial than ever.”
RIPR News Director Elisabeth Harrison said, “Lynn brings an incredible wealth of knowledge about health care, health policy and the challenges facing southern New England’s hospitals, health care workers and patients. From the opioid addiction and overdose crisis to an overburdened mental health care system and the uncertain future of federal health policy, Lynn’s reporting will help us better understand how these complex forces affect the lives of people across our region.”
“Lynn’s lucid, careful work has given all of us understanding of the complexities of health practice and policy,” RIPR CEO Torey Malatia said. “Now, as a new member of RIPR’s gifted team of brilliant reporters, she will significantly deepen and enrich RIPR’s mission of public service journalism for all our community,”
In a news release, RIPR said coverage of health issues is part of Rhode Island Public Radio’s commitment to local, in-depth reporting on the issues that are important to residents of Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts. Arditi’s reports will be heard during Morning Edition (5:00 AM – 9:00 AM, Monday – Friday), All Things Considered (4:00 PM – 6:30 PM, Monday – Friday), during local newscasts throughout the day, and on our website, RIPR.org, and on Twitter.
RIPR’s previous health reporter, Kristin Gourlay, left the station for a different job in Chicago earlier this year.