About Us

With a group of investors, Frederick J. Wilson III founded the paper as the South County Independent in 1997. In 2000, three years after its opening, the paper was named Newspaper of the Year in its circulation category by the New England Newspaper Association, and it won the same honor in 2005. The paper also has won numerous awards from the New England and Rhode Island press associations. In 2007 it was named Newspaper of the Year by the New England Press Association, and in 2013 and 2014, it was named Distinguished Newspaper of the Year by the New England Newspaper and Press Association. It was named the Rhode Island Press Association Community Newspaper of the Year in 2015.

In 1998 the company expanded to publish a magazine, now called South County Life magazine, which also is award-winning. The magazine publishes seven editions a year that are distributed throughout Washington County and East Greenwich.

In 1999 the North East Independent was launched to cover East Greenwich and North Kingstown. It placed first in the General Excellence competition of the New England Press Association in 2001 and 2005 and was named a Distinguished Newspaper by the New England Newspaper Association in 2007. It was named Newspaper of the Year by the New England Newspaper and Press Association in 2013 and 2014, and Distinguished Newspaper of the Year in 2015.

In 2015, the two papers combined to become The Independent, serving Narragansett, North Kingstown and South Kingstown and continues to win numerous awards from the New England and Rhode Island press associations.