Providence paper yanks support for state spelling bee

In an apparent cost-cutting move, The Providence Journal has pulled its sponsorship of Rhode Island's Statewide Spelling Bee.

The decision has caused both anger and puzzlement in the paper's newsroom. Reporter and Providence Newspaper Guild president John Hill says he doesn't "see how you could have an event that is more connected to a newspaper’s mission, which is reading, and learning about the world, and expanding your vocabulary. These are things that you need to learn if you’re going to be a newspaper reader or a Web site reader.”

Thanks to Romenesko.