Investigative journalist joins New Bedford Light staff

Nathan Collins, an award-winning investigative reporter and a Pulitzer Prize finalist, has joined the staff of The New Bedford Light to cover the fishing industry, ocean and maritime research, and the blue economy.

His position is supported in part by Report for America, an initiative of Report Local, a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening local journalism across the U.S. and around the world.

Collins started his career in public radio, where he earned statewide recognition for his accountability reporting in Dallas. Collins joined The News & Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina, in 2025 where he covered private prisons, child social services and mass surveillance as an investigative reporter.

As a graduate student at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, Collins earned a Pulitzer finalist nod for his collaboration with the Associated Press on a series that documented the more than 1,000 people who died when police officers subdued them with methods intended to be nonlethal. 

Before he became a journalist, Collins was a professional musician who performed with artists including Solange Knowles and toured professionally as a saxophonist with John Fogerty.

Collins’ beat will include ocean science research and innovation at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, UMass Dartmouth School for Marine Science & Technology, and the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography. 

Collins will collaborate on projects with Brooke Kushwaha, The Light’s environment reporter, who was recently named a URI Metcalf fellow and who also participated in Metcalf’s Climate Ready Newsroom project. Prior to joining The Light, Kushwaha covered environmental issues for The Vineyard Gazette and Martha’s Vineyard Magazine. She also covered energy in Houston.

“Nathan will be a fabulous addition to our newsroom and a much needed presence in reporting on the New Bedford fishing industry, the blue economy and ocean research,” said Karen Bordeleau, executive editor of The Light. “This beat is especially critical to the South Coast of Massachusetts — anchored by the historic City of New Bedford and Buzzards Bay — where the ocean defines life, culture, and industry.”

This is the second time The New Bedford Light has been selected as a host newsroom by Report for America. 

The Light was first designated as a Report for America host newsroom in 2023. That designation allowed the news organization to establish an environment beat, which remains an important area of coverage today.

The Light is a member of an expanding network of more than 175 newsrooms benefiting from Report for America’s support. 

Report for America delivers a wide range of benefits to its corps members. Beyond paying up to half of the journalists’ salaries, it provides ongoing training and mentorship by leading journalists, peer networking, and memberships to select professional organizations.