Newsrooms - Report for America

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.

Applications are now closed.

Interested in becoming a host newsroom? Want to refer a newsroom that would make a great candidate?

How it Works

We pre-screen emerging journalists who meet your needs, and pay half their salary, up to $25,000. (Our cap is $30,000 for very experienced journalists.) You and local donors split the rest, though we can help you raise the local share. You make the final reporter selection. And they work for you while receiving ongoing training and support from us.

Why Report for America?

Hear more from Report for America’s current host newsrooms.

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We help your newsroom secure a reporter who is passionate about the beat you have designated as a coverage need
We help unlock a sustainable third revenue stream of philanthropy with the help of our local sustainability and development team. Our best newsrooms have amassed 6- and 7-figure sums in just a few years
We help expand your newsroom coverage by paying 50% of the salary of the reporter the first year and 33% of the salary the second year
You will have access to a network of over 200 like-minded host newsrooms to collaborate with and use as a resource
Through our partnership, your newsroom will ultimately expand and grow

Upcoming Information Sessions

March 23, 2023 | 3:30 pm E.T.

Join the recruitment team and learn more about the application process. REGISTER HERE

April 20, 2023 | 3:30 pm E.T.

Join the recruitment team to ask questions and get insight into the application process. REGISTER HERE

May 25, 2023 | 3:30 pm ET

Join the recruitment team to ask questions and get insight into the application process. REGISTER HERE

Frequently Asked Questions

What news organizations are eligible?

Any news organization that is committed to providing objective, civically important local journalism. That could include public radio stations, newspapers, digital narrative sites, commercial TV stations, community media centers, or journalism schools providing direct journalism. The organization can be nonprofit or commercial.

What are the criteria for selection?

These are the main criteria:

Is there an important need? (Are there under-covered topics, communities or geographic areas?)

What is the beat you’ll create to deploy RFA corps members to help fill your news gap?

Can you provide the local match? (see below)

Do you provide good editing and mentoring?

Other factors include having the following:

A way to distribute the content for maximum impact
A good plan for assessing success
A commitment to trust-building behaviors (transparency of process, transparency of article types)

What are the application deadlines? When do corps members begin?

The window to apply for consideration as a host newsroom typically opens in July each year and closes in September. Report for America reviewers will assess applications through October and schedule virtual interviews via Zoom in October and November. We’ll announce winning newsrooms in December, and open the corps member application cycle. Host newsrooms will select among a slate of candidates we choose, and they’ll start in your newsroom the first week of June.

What do you mean by local share?

This term refers to the money you raise in the community to support this reporting position. One of the goals of this program is to encourage local philanthropy to support journalism in a bigger way. We also believe that successful news organizations will have to build stronger community support in general whether its through membership, subscriptions, events or philanthropy. So we strongly encourage news organizations to involve the community to support the RFA corps member.

100 Days in Appalachia

88.5 WFDD/La Noticia

89.3 WFPL News Louisville

Akron Beacon Journal

AL.com

Albuquerque Journal

Anchorage Daily News / adn.com

Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting

Asbury Park Press

Associated Press

Athens Banner-Herald

Belleville News-Democrat

Black Voice News

Block Club Chicago

Boise State Public Radio

Bozeman Daily Chronicle

Buffalo Bulletin

California News Desert & Trust Initiative

CALmatters

Capital Gazette

CapRadio & Sacramento Observer

Carolina Public Press

Centro de Periodismo Investigativo

Chattanooga Times Free Press

Chicago Sun-Times

Cincinnati.com/The Enquirer

City Limits

Commercial Appeal

Concord Monitor

Connecticut Public

DCist

Delaware Public Media

Democrat and Chronicle

Detroit Free Press

Detroit Free Press + Politifact

Detroit Jewish News

Documented

el Nuevo Herald

El Paso Matters

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

FlintBeat.com

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Granite State News Collaborative

Green Bay Press-Gazette

GuamPDN.com/Pacific Daily News

Henrico Citizen

Herald and News

Honolulu Civil Beat

Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Houston Chronicle

Houston Defender Network

Idaho Statesman

IndyStar

inewsource

Iowa Public Radio

Kansas City PBS

KAWC Colorado River Public Media

KCAW

Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting

KERA/The Texas Newsroom

KOSU Radio

KUCB

KUER

KUNR Public Radio

KUT

Las Cruces Sun-News

Las Vegas Review-Journal

Ledger-Enquirer

Lexington Herald-Leader

Long Beach Post

Lookout Santa Cruz

Mahoning Matters

Maine Public

Marfa Public Radio

Maryland Matters

Miami Herald

Michigan Chronicle

Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

Mission Local

MLK50: Justice Through Journalism

Montana Free Press

Montgomery Advertiser

Mountain State Spotlight

Mountain Times Publications

MPR News

New England Public Media

New Hampshire Public Radio

New Haven Independent

New Mexico In Depth

New York Amsterdam News

North Carolina Health News

Northern Kentucky Tribune, Kentucky Forward, Kentucky Center

Northern Public Radio WNIJ

Oklahoma Watch

Ouray County Plaindealer

Pine Tree Watch (Maine Monitor)

Post Register

PublicSource

Radio Bilingüe, Inc.

Rappahannock News & Foothills Forum

Redding Record Searchlight

Richland Source

Sahan Journal

San Antonio Express-News

San José Spotlight

Santa Fe reporter

Searchlight New Mexico

Southwest Times Record

Spectrum Columbus OH

Spectrum Milwaukee

Spectrum News 13

Spectrum News Buffalo

St Louis Public Radio

St. Louis American/Type Investigations

Statesman Journal

Sun Herald

Tampa Bay Times

Technical.ly

Texas Public Radio

The AFRO-American Newspaper

The Arizona Republic

The Atlanta-Journal Constitution

The Baltimore Sun

The Beacon

The Berkshire Eagle

The Boston Globe

The Charlotte Observer

The Charlotte Post

The City

The Colorado Sun

The Columbus Dispatch

The Community Voice

The Connecticut Mirror

The Daily Herald (Arlington, IL)

The Daily Herald (Everett, WA)

The Dallas Morning News

The Desert Sun

The Devil Strip

The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead

The Fresno Bee

The Haitian Times

The Hastings Banner

The Herald, Rock Hill, S.C.

The Island Packet

The Kansas City Star

The Mendocino Voice

The Mercury News

The Modesto Bee

The Myrtle Beach Sun News

The News & Observer

The News Tribune

The Oaklandside

The Olympian

The Plug

The Public’s Radio

The Reader – El Perico

The Riverdale Press

The Sacramento Bee

The Salt Lake Tribune

The Spectrum

The Spokesman-Review

The State Media Company

The Texas Observer

The Times-Picayune and The Advocate

The Victoria Advocate

The Washington Informer

The Wichita Eagle

Traverse City Record-Eagle

TucsonSentinel.com

Twin Cities Public Television

Valley News

Ventura County Star

Vermont Public Radio

Voice of OC

VTDigger.org

Wausau Daily Herald

Wausau Pilot & Review

WBHM

WCAI

WCPO

WFAE

WFAE 90.7 / La Noticia

WFYI Public Media

Wisconsin Center for Investigative Reporting

WITF

WPLN / Nashville Public Radio

WSKG Public Telecommunications Council

WUFT News

WWNO 89.9 FM New Orleans Public Radio

WyoFile

Wyoming Public Media

WYPR 88.1 FM Your Public Radio Corporation

WYSO Public Radio

Yellowstone Public Radio

Our Newsroom Partners

Participating newsroom partners include nonprofit and for-profit organizations, daily and weekly newspapers, digital only newsrooms, TV and radio stations. They’re in nearly every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam.