September 14, 2026 —  Report for America is the flagship program of Report Local, a nonprofit national journalism support organization that partners with newsrooms to help cover under-reported topics and under-covered communities. Our charitable mission is to strengthen independent local journalism by supporting the journalists, newsrooms, and ecosystems that communities rely on for trustworthy information. 

As part of the Report for America program, we find talented journalists for newsrooms, contribute a portion of their salary for a commitment of two years with an option to renew for a third year, and offer training support for newsrooms and the corps member. Find more information here.

We are now accepting applications from newsrooms to host a corps member starting in July 2027. If you have applied to Report for America in the past three years, you may opt to receive a PDF copy of your most recent application.

Note: Newsrooms based in Washington state will be considered for the WSU Murrow Fellows/Report for Washington program. Find more information about the program here. 

Important Criteria in the Application Review Process:

NEED: Explain why the beat you’re proposing is vital to your audience and to the community, especially if it addresses an important gap in local coverage in your newsroom or other newsrooms in your area. Also, describe your newsroom’s financial need and why you need to support this position.

SUPPORT: We look for newsrooms that can provide corps members with strong editing and mentoring, so they can do their best work. Corps members must be paid a salary of at least the living wage in their area, per MIT’s Living Wage Calculator.

A COMMITMENT TO INCLUSION: Report for America provides a diverse pool of candidates, and expects host newsrooms to foster supportive environments for journalists of all backgrounds. Host newsroom candidates must demonstrate a strong commitment to ensuring journalists of all backgrounds can thrive. 

A COMMITMENT TO FUNDRAISING: We seek newsroom partners who share a commitment to financial sustainability and diversifying revenue streams, including local philanthropy. Host newsrooms are required to seek local funding to cover part of their corps member’s salary. Report for America’s local news sustainability team will provide assistance every step of the way.

Deadline to Apply:

Prospective and current host newsroom candidates must submit their application on or before the deadline of October 19, 2026. Please note:

• Do not submit more than one application, even if you’re requesting multiple corps members.
• Do not use this form to renew your current corps member; we’ll send you separate paperwork for that process.

Questions?

Find a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) here. If you need further assistance, please email us at info@reportforamerica.org.