Ben Berke

Reporter

Ben covers everything for Ocean State Media, as long as it’s a good story. His work appears across television, radio, social media, and our website. He joined the station in 2021 after a stint in newspapers, and now handles our metro beat in Providence. His assignments have taken our audience to jails, city halls, fishing boats, factories, museums, bakeries, environmental cleanup sites and a clambake.

Recently published
The bill would have raised the minimum fine for child labor violations in Massachusetts from $500 to $20,000. Its sponsor, State Rep. Christopher Hendricks, said the legislation was inspired by a series from our reporting chronicling minors who worked in New Bedford’s seafood industry
After ICE agents “wrongfully” detained a high school intern at a Providence courthouse, the state’s highest-ranking judge said the legal system will consider making virtual hearings more accessible
Most incumbents held their seats in Tuesday’s election, while two newcomers — Scott Pemberton and James Roy — won spots on the City Council amid low voter turnout
Gabriel Boomer Amaral, a Republican who has never held elected office in Fall River, took nearly 49% of the vote against the incumbent Democrat. Amaral is calling for a recount
At Alfred Lima Elementary School, a student-run news crew is flipping the narrative on Providence’s public schools — interviewing state leaders, reporting in two languages, and sharing their stories with the world