News outlets can apply through Sept. 18 to host a journalist from Report for America, which seeks rural applicants

Report for America seeks Partner Newsrooms from GroundTruth on Vimeo.

Report for America, the national service program that places emerging and experienced journalists into local newsrooms, has opened the portal for news organizations to apply to host an RFA "corps member" for up to three years, starting next summer. The deadline is Sept. 18.

Sofi Zeman, a recent University of Missouri
graduate, is a new RFA corps member at
the weekly Uvalde Leader-News in Texas.

This week, 60 new RFA corps members began their onboarding and orientation in new positions in newsrooms in every corner of the country. More than 600 reporters have been placed in more than 300 newsrooms since the GroundTruth Project launched the program in 2017. The program is making a special effort to place corps members in rural newsrooms.

Charles Sennott, GroundTruth's founder and editor-in-chief, told his mailing list this week, "If you live in a big city or a small town where there are under-covered issues and overlooked communities and if you see a need for stronger local reporting on important issues like the environment, criminal justice, and health, please encourage your local news organization to reach out to us."

Earl Johnson, RFA's vice president of recruitment and alumni engagement, said in Sennott's email, “We understand the challenges today’s newsrooms face, not only finding talented journalists but also providing the mentorship and support they might seek. By partnering with Report for America, local newsrooms are better positioned to cover important issues, diversify their newsrooms, and grow sustainable, local support within their communities.”

RFA is also seeking mentors for its corps members, Sennott wrote: "The mentors are a diverse group in many ways, but they are bound together by a belief in our mission and are working hard to support and build the future of local journalism. So if you know a journalist who might have the time to help the next generation, or if you fit that bill yourself, please reach out."

Newsrooms can go here to learn more about the program and to access the application.