Become a Host Newsroom

We help you bring accountability journalism to community news gaps you’ve long wanted to fill—but haven’t had the resources.

Report for America strengthens local newsrooms across the country by providing talent, funding and fundraising support. To date, Report for America has partnered with more than 450+ newsrooms across the U.S. in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, Washington, D.C. and Guam.  

Our Impact Since 2017

JOURNALISTS PLACED IN NEWSROOMS
0
NEWSROOM PARTNERS SUPPORTED
0
RAISED LOCALLY FOR NEWSROOMS
$ 0 M

As a Report for America host newsroom, you will join a growing network of newsrooms who have received transformative assistance from our program.  We’re here to help you grow, too.

  • We’ll recruit a slate of journalists passionate about the beat you’ve designated as a coverage need.
  • We’ll help show you new ways to raise money locally. Since 2017, our  partner newsrooms have raised $59.9 million from institutions, individuals, major donors and corporations to cover their portion of their corps members’ salaries and benefits.  Read more about our local news sustainability work here.
  • We pay half the journalist’s salary the first year, a third of the salary the second year and 20% the optional third year.
  • You gain access to a network of over 100+ like-minded host newsrooms to collaborate with and use as a resource.
  • Through our partnership, your newsroom will ultimately expand and grow more sustainable.
Interested in learning more? Our recruitment team hosts regular information sessions. Sign up for a time slot below!
register for an info session

Meet the recruitment team and learn about newsroom eligibility and program requirements. REGISTER NOW

Meet the recruitment team and learn about newsroom eligibility and program requirements. REGISTER NOW

Meet the recruitment team and learn about newsroom eligibility and program requirements. REGISTER NOW

Meet the recruitment team and learn about newsroom eligibility and program requirements. REGISTER NOW

Meet the recruitment team and learn about newsroom eligibility and program requirements. REGISTER NOW

Interested in becoming a Report for America newsroom? Sign up for our mailing list to receive updates.

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Our Model

We pre-screen early career journalists who meet your needs, and you choose your hire. We pay half their salary, up to $25,000 (our cap is $30,000 for very experienced journalists) and provide them with ongoing training and support while they work for you. Meanwhile, we provide your newsroom with curriculum and coaching to help you fundraise for your share of the salary. 

Our Newsroom Partners

Participating newsroom partners include nonprofit and for-profit organizations, daily and weekly newspapers, digital only newsrooms, TV and radio stations. They’ve been in every state, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and Guam.

Learn more

Frequently Asked Questions

To meet the criteria for acceptance into Report for America, all of these questions should be answered yes. 

  • Will the new position/beat you’re proposing fill an important need? (Are there under-covered topics, communities or geographic areas?)
  • Has your newsroom been publishing for at least one year?
  • Do you provide high quality editing?
  • Do you pay a living wage, according to the MIT living wage calculator?
  • Do you agree to fundraise to help you pay your portion of the corps member’s salary? (Our Local Sustainability Team will provide training and resources to help you succeed.)

Any news organization that is committed to providing objective, civically important local journalism. That could include public radio and TV stations, newspapers, digital sites, commercial radio and TV stations, wire services, or schools providing direct journalism to communities. The organization can be nonprofit or for-profit.

The window to apply for consideration as a host newsroom opens September 14, 2026, and the deadline to apply is October 19, 2026. Report for America reviewers will assess newsroom applications through November and schedule virtual interviews via Zoom for finalists in December. We’ll announce winning host newsrooms on January 19, 2027, and open the corps member application cycle for journalists to apply for the positions. Host newsrooms will select their corps member from a slate of candidates we provide, and the journalist will start in your newsroom on the second Monday in July 2027.

 

We believe that successful news organizations have to build stronger community support, whether it’s through membership, subscriptions, events and/or philanthropy, including individual and institutional donations. For that reason, we require news organizations to involve the community to support their Report for America corps member.

View all FAQs

Transformative reporting across the nation

Corps members’ stories hold public officials accountable and reveal the complexity and richness of communities.

Reporters’ work
what our partners have to say
“Report for America had an immediate impact, allowing us to reopen a bureau shuttered 7 years ago in an economically tattered corner of America.”​
JOHN STAMPER , Deputy Editor, Lexington Herald-Leader
In Their Words