Reminder: Apply by Oct. 20 to host a journalist with support from Report for America

The deadline for newsrooms to apply to host a reporter with financial support from Report for America is Oct. 20. A sample application can be viewed here: http://bit.ly/4oLOt71

Report for America is an organization that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities.

Host newsrooms receive the following benefits:

• A reporter committed to the newsroom for two years
• Half of the salary of the reporter will be paid during the first year and 33% of the salary the second year
• Training and mentoring for the reporter
• Assistance with fundraising to cover the newsroom’s portion of the reporter’s salary through Report for America’s Local News Sustainability Team
• Access to a network of other host newsrooms for collaboration

Apply by Oct. 20 to host a journalist with support from Report for America

Applications to receive support for a reporter for your local news organization through Report for America will open on Sept. 15. 

Report for America is an organization that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. 

The deadline for newspapers to apply to host a reporter is Oct. 20. You may review a sample application here: http://bit.ly/4oLOt71  

Host newsrooms receive the following benefits: 

• A reporter committed to the newsroom for two years 
• Half of the salary of the reporter will be paid during the first year and 33% of the salary the second year 
• Training and mentoring for the reporter 
• Assistance with fundraising to cover the newsroom’s portion of the reporter’s salary through Report for America’s Local News Sustainability Team 
• Access to a network of other host newsrooms for collaboration

Questions can be directed to recruitment@reportforamerica.org.

Rash of federal firings will hurt rural communities' economic health and development possibilities

Map by Sarah Melotte, The Daily Yonder, from Bureau of Labor Statistics data

The Trump administration's federal employee purge has plunged several sectors into chaos and disarray. Some firings include rural workers employed by public land agencies. "In a radical move to stave off perceived bureaucratic bloat, the administration has laid off thousands of federal employees," reports Sarah Melotte of The Daily Yonder. "Over a quarter million federal employees are stationed in rural counties across the country."

By cutting federal payrolls, the Trump administration hopes to fund part of its "proposed $4.5 trillion in tax cuts," Melotte explains. "The firings will hurt many rural communities that rely on the federal government for a large share of their economic base."

The loss of government jobs is particularly harmful to rural communities because federal positions generally pay better and will be more difficult for individuals to replace. Melotte reports, "In 2023, wages in rural private sector jobs were $50,600 per job, on average, compared to $79,300 per job in the federal government. . . . Federal jobs only make up 1.6% of the total rural workforce, but in many rural communities, they are one of the largest employers.

Explaining the domino effect federal firings could have on rural communities, Megan Lawson, from Headwaters Economics, told Melotte, "Especially in the West, where many federal layoffs are affecting public land agencies, these employees will not be able to manage our natural resources and serve the public. Our gateway communities whose economies depend on natural resources or recreation on federal land will feel the ripple effects when the resources and their visitors aren't being managed well. It's unclear how quickly these effects will be felt."

Nationwide, the tally of federal wages paid to rural employees is substantial. "Federal wages accounted for $21 billion in non-metropolitan, or rural, counties in 2023," Melotte adds. So far, the Trump administration fired more than 1,000 Department of Veteran Affairs employees and cut 3,400 Forest Service jobs.