Let’s face it, journalism isn’t exactly the most glamorous of professions. It doesn’t always pay all that well. Not every story is exciting. And the stereotypes that lead to mistrust of the media? We’ll save that for another day.
The truth is that journalism is a public service—an opportunity to inform the public while holding officials accountable. It is a calling for many reporters, very much like the military is for some.
Report for America looks to tap into this calling by attracting more military veterans for its reporting corps. Why? For one, they are vastly underrepresented in our nation’s newsrooms. While about 7 percent of Americans have served in the armed forces, only 2 percent of media workers are military veterans, according to our partners at Military Veterans in Journalism. Veterans have unique skills and on-the-ground experience that can be valuable for newsrooms.
Report for America looks to fill 150 reporting positions this year—print, digital, visual, radio and television—in local newsrooms across the country. Beyond the opportunity to cover an impactful beat, corps members benefit from training, mentorship and a growing peer network. The deadline to apply is Jan. 31.
We invite you to meet a few of the military veterans who have benefited from our program in the short videos below. And if you too are a veteran, APPLY!
About Report for America
Report for America is a national service program that places talented emerging journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered topics and communities. Launched in 2017, Report for America is creating a new, sustainable system that provides Americans with the information they need to improve their communities, hold powerful institutions accountable, and rebuild trust in the media. Report for America is an initiative of The GroundTruth Project, an award-winning nonprofit journalism organization with an established track record of training and supporting teams of emerging journalists around the world, including the recent launch of Report for the World in partnership with local newsrooms in India, Nigeria and Brazil.