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
Ella Cook, a sophomore, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, a freshman, were killed during a final exam review session by a shooter who has not been found yet. Nine other students were injured, and the university’s president said most are in stable condition.
The professor said her teaching assistant was leading the review session when a shooter entered a lecture hall and opened fire. The professor herself was not there
Brown professor says shooting happened in a study session for her economics class
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