Report for America brought journalists from every corner of the country to Minneapolis last week for the service program’s 2024 National Gathering. It was an opportunity for corps members to connect and learn from one another in a way that can only be done in person.

“We can do orientation on Zoom. We can do a lot of training on Zoom. But it became increasingly clear what we can’t do well online,” said Rachel Rohr, vice president of program development for Report for America. “So this national gathering is dedicated to those things that we can only do well in person — hands-on workshops, getting to know the staff, and most importantly, the corps members getting to know each other.

Nearly 160 of Report for America’s corps members attended the two-day event, including many who are in their second or third year in the program. Also on hand were staff, board members and alumni, along with veteran journalists who helped facilitate the programming. The last gathering was held two years ago in Chicago.

Ailsa Chang, the award-winning host of NPR’s “All Things Considered,” helped kick things off with an off-the-record discussion about her career, offering insight and advice for the corps members, many of whom are in the early stages of their profession.

Day two’s keynote was delivered by Astead W. Herndon, a national politics reporter for the New York Times and the host of the politics podcast “The Run-Up.” Herndon arrived fresh off the heels of the Republican National Convention.

“As you all know, we are in an industry in a country that feels in crisis. And I take inspiration from the decision that you all have made to go with that head-on. I think our industry, our democracy is better for it,” Herndon said.

He also shared his journey in journalism which began in local news.

“I worked in local reporting covering crime and city council for the (Boston) Globe. And those experiences, the work that you all are doing now, are not just stepping stones to another gig, but offer perspective and grounding that will make your journalism better.”

Corps members were offered several workshops focused on earning trust, navigating the newsroom, editing, election fact-checking, safety, and more. There were also breakout sessions based on their beats and regions.

“My favorite session would probably be the radically rural one,” said Sofi Zeman, who covers education, safety and crime for the Uvalde News-Leader in South Texas. “We talked about some fundamental misconceptions that are perpetuated by stereotypes.”

Of course, there was plenty of time for building camaraderie and fun. Corps members were treated to a night out at Target Field, the home of the Minnesota Twins. They toured the stadium, watched batting practice and enjoyed food and games together.

The corps members were also offered guided tours of local newsrooms and George Floyd Square, a powerful reminder of journalism’s role in exposing injustice and lifting the voices of all communities. 

Additionally, the backdrop of the gathering provided an opportunity for journalism funders and partners to learn from the corps members and to hear from local news leaders at panel events focused on growing statewide support for journalism in Minnesota (that will air on MPR News with Angela Davis in August). During this, Report for America unveiled its 2024 Impact Report.

With Minneapolis now behind them, the corps members have returned to their newsrooms — energized and ready to take on the under-covered stories of their communities.

“I just feel as though every time I come here, I’m just gathering so many great tools to be able to take back home to my community and to develop my reporting in ways that I feel would have been more challenging had I not been a part of this opportunity,” said Jarrette Werk, a multimedia journalist who covers Indigenous affairs for Underscore Native News in Oregon.

The National Gathering was made possible through the support of the Joyce Foundation, Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, McKnight Foundation, Minneapolis Foundation, Saint Paul and Minnesota Foundation, and W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

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 across the United States and its territories. By creating a new, sustainable model for journalism, Report for America provides people with the information they need to improve their communities, hold powerful institutions accountable, and restore trust in the media. Report for America is an initiative of The GroundTruth Project, an award-winning nonprofit journalism organization dedicated to rebuilding journalism from the ground up.