Today, Report for America is proud to announce an expansion of our Local News Internship program, an important step towards building the country’s most powerful pipeline of journalists covering issues that matter most to their communities. The program, run in partnership with nine higher education partners and newsrooms, is designed to help aspiring journalists fill one of the most common barriers for entry: professional, paid newsroom experience. 

Since its founding, Report for America has placed more than 800 journalists in hundreds of local newsrooms across the country. Through our work with early-career journalists, we’ve identified that one of the most critical resume-building experiences for emerging journalists is the newsroom internship. These internships are often unpaid, limiting access to career-building opportunities for students who cannot afford to work for free. It is our vision that this program, an early intervention in newsroom career trajectories, paves the way for recruiting diverse talent, bridging skill gaps and ensuring equitable access to the journalism industry.

The 10-week internship program begins June 1. Interns produce several multi-source articles per week, receive editorial mentorship and guidance, and are paid for their work. As a result of the generous support of our donors, Report for America covers 80% of the intern’s $10,000 stipend, with the partner newsroom covering the remainder.   

“Through this program, students gain meaningful, hands-on newsroom experience while contributing to coverage that truly matters,” said Earl Johnson, Report for America’s vice president of recruitment and alumni engagement. “We are especially proud that this year’s higher education partners include Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), HBCUs and journalism schools dedicated to diverse local news coverage that reinforces our commitment to building a more inclusive and representative journalism pipeline.” 

This year’s college and university partners are located in states across the country, from Mississippi to California.  

“Our partnership with Report for America brings learning to life for our students,” said Mira Lowe, dean and professor at Florida A&M University’s School of Journalism & Graphic Communication. “By working in professional newsrooms, our scholars gain real-world experience, build confidence, and see the power of storytelling in local communities. It’s an investment in the future of journalism.”

Higher education partners select the local newsroom partner for internship placement. The host newsrooms support interns through editorial guidance, mentorship and portfolio development.

“We’re grateful this program exists,” said Nicole Caroll, executive director of NEWSWELL. “The Report for America internship has allowed us to provide four Chicago-area newsrooms with a vital reporting resource this summer. They will play an important role as the newsrooms grow their team and community coverage. We’re thrilled to be able to support our intern and guide the next generation of journalists.”

Find the full list of this year’s summer interns, along with their higher education institutions and host newsrooms, below. We are thankful to The Scripps Family Fund for Education and the Arts, as well as our higher education and newsroom partners, for making this initiative possible.