John Palumbo: From public relations to journalism
John Palumbo, ‘76, was inaugurated into the class of 2021 Rhode Island Journalism Hall of Fame for his contributions to journalism in the state. PHOTO CREDIT: Hannah Charron
John Palumbo, ‘76, the owner of Rhode Island Monthly, was recently inducted into the Rhode Island Journalism Hall of Fame as part of their class of 2021.
The Hall of Fame honors journalists who have been influential in their profession, according to their website.
During his time at URI, Palumbo was involved in The Good Five Cent Cigar as a features reporter. He wrote album and concert reviews, as well as human interest stories. Palumbo was also a member of a fraternity and was on the Interfraternity Council where he worked on public relations.
After graduating from URI with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in marketing, Palumbo started working in public relations, where he worked for nearly the first decade of his career.
He worked at Duffy and Shanley, an advertising agency, for a little over seven years and then worked in the sales department at CVS for two years. Finally, Palumbo ended up at the Providence Journal Company and the Cranston Herald, where he wrote sports articles. After that, he decided to go back to CVS, where he worked for under a year before being recruited by his former boss from the Providence Journal Company, Howard Sutton, to run Rhode Island Monthly.
Howard said that he needed a publisher and Palumbo was the “perfect person” to take over Rhode Island Monthly. He described Palumbo as a creative journalist with a passion and a strong work ethic.
Howard said that he was happy to hear that the man he had recruited many years ago would eventually join the Rhode Island Journalism Hall of Fame.
“I would say it’s well overdue given the contributions he’s made to Rhode Island not only in journalism, but [for] all the time and energy he’s given to nonprofit groups both as a volunteer and also a leader of some very notable nonprofits like the Roger Williams Zoo,” Howard said.
Palumbo said that the process for getting into the Hall of Fame is relatively simple.
“You need to be nominated by someone who is in the Hall of Fame,” Palumbo said. “The Hall of Fame committee needs to approve your nomination, and then the board of directors approves it from there.”
Palumbo said he has been part of a wide variety of organizations, and his career hasn’t necessarily been the usual journalistic path. His work and dedication in the field of journalism have led him to be inducted into the Rhode Island Journalism Hall of Fame.
Howard said that in addition to his journalistic skills, Palumbo has a “marketing and creative side” that propelled him to where he is today. According to Howard, he has been a great help for Rhode Island Monthly over his 25 years of work.
“When I made the decision to purchase the company back in 2008/2009, one of the worst economic freefalls in recent times, I was scared to death,” Palumbo said. “The risk, the debt, the uncertainty were at times overwhelming. To be recognized for keeping another voice alive and contributions to journalism, URI and to my community is pretty cool.”