Nick Domings '04 is Producing Change at WPRI12 Eyewitness News

 

Nick Domings graduated in 2004 with a Bachelor’s degree in Communication. Originally from Ashland, Massachusetts, he currently works at WPRI 12 Eyewitness News as an Executive Producer, Investigative & News Special Projects in Providence, Rhode Island.

Majoring in Communication felt like the right call for Domings since he’d been interested in writing, as well as the work that goes into creating movies and TV shows. He was inspired to pursue a career that was similar to the process of creating the movies and videos he saw on TV.

When he wasn't completing assignments for his classes, Domings participated in intramural sports with his friends. Whichever season it was, he found an activity, keeping active with flag football, basketball, and softball.

Domings is still close to the friends he made throughout his four years at Western New England. One person who made a great impact during his attendance was Professor of Communication Brenda Garton-Sjoberg. “She's actually a big reason why I got into what I’m doing now… I got an internship at the TV station she used to work at… and that was the start of my career in news,” Domings stated. Garton-Sjoberg had worked at WWLP-TV as a news anchor in Springfield, Massachusetts. It wasn't until Domings worked as an intern in the same broadcast news station as Garton-Sjoberg that he realized what he'd like to do for his career.

Domings started off that career as a News Producer for ABC40 News in Springfield for about a year before he moved to Providence, Rhode Island to work at WPRI 12 Eyewitness News, a CBS News affiliate. He's been at the station for eleven years now, and has been Executive Producer of Investigative & News Special Projects for the past five years. He manages many long-term investigation projects, ranging from stories about doctors on the brink of finding cures for a diseases to exposés on corrupt politicians in office.

With this type of work, Domings rarely sees his office. “There are days where we'll all come in around 9 a.m. and have our editorial meeting, where everyone in the investigative and special projects unit go over what we have going on that day. After that, we scatter and start working on our various projects. There are days where that's the last time I'm in the building because we're out shooting things for the entire day.” Domings and his team travel to a variety of locations for their work. Sometimes the trips they take might even feel like a bit of an adventure. “We've gotten to go on boats in the middle of the ocean with folks who track great white sharks, and we've gone down to Florida and have interviewed people who are involved in major cases here locally… There's no shortage of different projects to work on,” Domings commented.

One of Domings's biggest accomplishments has been prompting change to several laws in Providence. He is aware that his work makes a big impact, and it shows when a particular story gets extra attention. “There was a story we did that got quite a bit of attention a few years back on a firefighter who was out on disability who was also a weightlifter in his spare time. We did this long undercover investigation into it to show this guy, who was out of work with an injured shoulder, is in the gym lifting 225 pounds up over his head.” Sensing that this scenario seemed questionable, Domings and his team intervened with their investigative skills. “That case led to an overhaul to the whole disability pension system in Providence. [We] changed the laws because of story,” Domings recalled about the powerful news he and his team produced.

With Domings's investigative work and compelling articles enact positive change, and he couldn't be more proud of the results. “That's the best part of it to me, you can see the impacts of your work and it really does bring about change,” Domings stated.