Our program must focus on areas where it has the most impact, RFA executive director Kim Kleman writes Report for America has been in the news this week after I shared during a journalism roundtable that we’re phasing out our support of hedge fund and private equity-owned newsrooms. The response I’ve seen has been mostly, “About time!” though we’re
By Noreen Gillespie, Microsoft What will the newsroom of the future look like? Today, Microsoft is launching several collaborations with news organizations (including The GroundTruth Project) to adopt generative AI. In a year where billions of people will vote in democratic elections worldwide, journalism is critical to creating healthy information ecosystems, and it is our
Report for America is pleased to welcome Morgan Baum as its new director of local news sustainability. She brings a unique combination of for-profit and nonprofit business and development experience to this role and a passion for journalism. “I have personally witnessed the impact of a lack of unbiased local news on a community. I
See the full list of new newsrooms and beats here. Report for America has announced the selection of dozens of new host newsroom partners while opening applications for just over 50 new reporting corps positions across the United States. “We have placed a bet on these newsrooms, that with our help they will become beacons of
Growing news deserts are leaving far too many people without a trusted source of information. But there’s also been positive news lately. If you want to understand the depth of need among America’s local newsrooms — plus their depth of passion for serving their communities — there’s no better way than to read hundreds of
Sixteen of us gathered in a neighbor’s living room last week, eager to hear from a mayoral candidate invited to discuss her platform. First, we were all asked to introduce ourselves and share why we decided to come. “There’s no local newspaper anymore—I can’t find out what’s going on unless I show up myself,” one
The Freedom Forum, a Washington-based nonprofit focused on promoting First Amendment awareness, today announced its 2023 class of fellows for the Chips Quinn Scholars Program for Diversity in Journalism, an annual initiative that provides mentorship and training for early career journalists. Among them are Report for America corps members, Gabriel Poblete, The City, and Megan Sayles,
Religion plays a significant role in communities across the country, from shaping lawmakers’ approach to legislation to how people view themselves and their neighbors. Understanding these nuances as a journalist can be difficult, especially when many local newsrooms struggle to maintain dedicated coverage of any beat, let alone religion. Report for America is building a
COLUMBIA, Mo. (July 31, 2023) – The Missouri School of Journalism today announced a $2.47 million grant from the Walton Family Foundation in support of the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, a network of journalists that provides coverage of agriculture, water and environmental issues centered around the Mississippi River Basin to news
Report for America announced today that applications are now open for news organizations interested in partnering to host emerging and experienced journalists in their newsrooms for up to three years, beginning next summer. Report for America is a national service program that places talented journalists—corps members—into local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities.