Deadline is Sept. 18 for newsrooms to apply for reporter co-funded by Report for America, which wants rural applicants

Local newsrooms that would like to host a Report for America reporting corps member starting next summer have until Sept. 18 to apply, and the national service program is making a special effort to get more rural newsrooms involved.

RFA places talented journalists in local newsrooms for up to three years to report on under-covered issues and communities, including rural areas. It says the successful newsrooms get:

● Service-minded reporters, photographers and videographers
● Diverse, hand-picked candidates from a pool of emerging and experienced journalists
● Salary subsidies: 50% the first year, 33% the second year
● Local fundraising coaching and resources, including the opportunity for fiscal sponsorship to accept donations
● Extra training and mentoring for journalists

More information about how the program works can be found here. News organizations can also learn more by attending one of RFA's scheduled information sessions. One specially designed for rural newsrooms will be announced soon. The current list of sessions is here.

RFA says it understands the challenges today’s newsrooms face, not only finding talented journalists but also providing the mentorship and support they might seek. It says, "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 adds, "While all local news organizations are eligible to apply, Report for America looks to expand its reach into rural areas. On the application, prospective newsrooms should identify specific gaps in coverage in the community, drawing attention to under-covered communities or issues."

In April, RFA announced the pairing of 60 journalists and newsrooms, 16 of them with rural employers or beats. A story on that is here.

'Redefining Your Newspaper Business Model with Research' webinar, reporting on a Kansas experiment, set Thursday

The 200-year-old business model used by the newspaper industry clearly needs changing, and experiments are underway. A progress report on one major experiment will be the focus of a webinar Thursday, Aug. 25 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. ET.

Teri Finneman

"Redefining Your Newspaper Business Model with Research" will be presented by Dr. Teri Finneman, associate professor of journalism at the University of Kansas. She is leading an 18-month research project to test a new business model based on data collected from rural publishers and readers to help weekly newspapers adapt, survive and thrive in the 21st century.

With the study now in its final stages, Finneman will review in the live webinar what weekly newspaper publishers and readers have had to say, and present feedback from the publishers piloting the proposed memberships, e-newsletters and events model, as well as answer questions about the research project. Joey Young, owner of Kansas Publishing Ventures, will also be sharing his perspective as a publisher and research participant.

The webinar is being held by the Arkansas Press Association; the fee for non-members of APA is $30. Register at arkansaspress.org/event/APAWebinar. For more information email info@arkansaspress.org.

Finneman has been a print journalist and multimedia correspondent covering state government, business and enterprise. She talked about her project at the National Summit on Journalism in Rural America.