EDGE Providence

Divine Providence, Rhode Island’s only weekly GLBT newspaper, is ceasing publication. Owner/Publisher Eric Marion made the announcement Friday.

In a statement posted to the RILGBT listserv, Marion said beginning January 16, Divine Providence would become an exclusively online publication at http://divineprov.com. There will be no further print editions except on special occasions such as Pride.

Marion cited a declining economy, the high costs of publishing a weekly paper, and time constraints as reasons for the move.

"The economy in Rhode Island is forcing many Divine advertisers to either close shop or greatly reduce expenditures," Marion explained. "Additionally, the cost of printing a weekly publication greatly exceeds the incoming revenue. The loss of advertisers forces me to bear the cost of printing out of my own pocket."

Divine Providence launched in 2007 and became revered for breaking major news stories, including Providence Mayor David Cicilline’s alleged snub of RI Pride and incidents of violence outside downtown clubs.

Marion has been juggling his responsibilities as a lawyer with editing and publishing Divine Providence.

"I am an incredibly busy attorney. It is increasingly difficult for me to rationalize spending hours distributing newspapers, typesetting, and searching for ad dollars while my case files languish," Marion noted.

Jack Hartwein-Sanchez, who contributes club and event photos for Divine Providence, lauds the move: "I fully understand the difficulties (Marion’s) been facing in publishing Divine on a shoestring. Going to the web makes sense, especially when you realize that many of his targeted audience access the web for information on a daily basis."

Still, Hartwein-Sanchez admits having affection for the printed copy of Divine Providence: "I will miss the printed version for I am old fashioned enough to want the tactile feel of a paper."

Marion believes Divine Providence will continue to flourish as an online publication.

"The news industry is moving in this direction as a whole," Marion said. "The internet, mobile web, texting, and online data storage represent a new frontier awaiting exploration. I anticipate that the move will also result in a dramatic increase in my readership."

Marion said Divine Providence’s enhanced online presence will enable him to cover news from the Statehouse and to update readers about other news stories in a more timely fashion.

"This move allows me to maintain Divine Providence, and even grow it. At a time when other print publications are going under, Divine Providence is poised to become more than a local oddity. I am confident that the publication will be seeing its best days ahead," Marion added.