Eastbayri.com

BRISTOL — Manuel C. Correira has so many years of experience covering the news in Bristol that it may be easier to count who hasn’t been interviewed or photographed by him.

Since 1961, he’s worked as a sports editor, reporter and photographer for the Bristol Phoenix. He has more than 50 years of delivering the news to residents.

Though he’s supposedly “semi-retired” now, he is always busy covering local events and writing feature stories for the paper. One of his biggest contributions to the Phoenix is the annual Bristol Fourth of July souvenir booklet, a publication he plans and develops. He also writes for other East Bay Newspapers publications when the story takes him outside Bristol.

He has won R.I. Press Association awards for his news coverage for East Bay Newspapers and the media award as the state’s top high school sports writer from the R.I. Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association.

He has also worked as a columnist and photographer for the Providence Journal.

The Bristol Phoenix nominated Mr. Correira, who was announced as one of three inductees this year by the R.I. Press Association Hall of Fame Committee on Friday.

“I’m overwhelmed at the prospect of entering a prestigious hall of fame like the Rhode Island Press Association Hall of Fame,” Mr. Correira said. “It’s truly an honor. I’m humbled and honored to be joining this hall of fame with past inductees Roswell S. Bosworth Sr. and Roswell S. Bosworth Jr., two of my mentors when I first started out in this business at the Bristol Phoenix more than 50 years ago.”

In addition to Mr. Bosworth Sr. and Mr. Bosworth Jr., both former publishers of East Bay Newspapers, the late editor of the Portuguese page in the Bristol Phoenix, Louis Martins, is in the R.I. Press Association Hall of Fame.

“I also would like to thank you for your nomination,” he said. “It’s been an honor and privilege to work for these newspapers as a writer and photographer most of my career.”

This also isn’t his first induction into a hall of fame. In 2009, he joined the R.I. Interscholastic League High School Athletic Hall of Fame for his sports writing for East Bay Newspapers. And he’s a member of the Bristol Athletic Hall of Fame, Warren Athletic Hall of Fame, and R.I. Matadors Drum & Bugle Corps Hall of Fame.

He owns a photography business, and lectures at private and public schools throughout the state on newspaper reporting and photojournalism. He’s very active in community groups and volunteers for several charitable organizations. He was chief marshal of the 2007 Bristol Fourth of July parade.

Mr. Correira will be inducted into the R.I. Press Association Hall of Fame on Friday, May 4, at the Quonset O Club.