Ian Donnis

Political Reporter

Ian Donnis has reported on Rhode Island politics since 1999, when he arrived in the state two weeks before the FBI raided City Hall and Buddy Cianci’s East Side home.

Ian has been the political reporter for The Public’s Radio since 2009. He covers breaking news, develops in-depth features and investigative reports, contributes to RIPBS Weekly, hosts the weekly Political Roundtable with a range of newsmakers, writes a well-read Friday afternoon political newsletter, and maintains a bad social media habit.

Ian was for many years a panelist on Newsmakers, the Sunday morning public affairs show on WPRI-TV, Channel 12, and he’s a regular guest on A Lively Experiment on Rhode Island PBS. His previous experience includes serving as news editor of The Providence Phoenix and as a reporter for The Associated Press and the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

Outside of work, Ian enjoys baseball, good food, and exploring Rhode Island.

Recently published
Health care, housing, education and President Trump are all likely to take center stage during the 2026 legislative session, which got underway on Tuesday
Questions loom on the budget, taxes, hospitals and education
Advocates have tried for years to make changes to the Access to Public Records Act, but it was last modernized in 2012
The shooting at Brown University leaves the state reeling, and the suspect’s body was found at a storage facility in New Hampshire

An altercation on an East Side street ultimately to authorities finding the name of their suspect