WFIU/WTIU News named Report for America newsroom partner

WFIU/WTIU News bureau chief, Sara Wittmeyer

​Report for America has selected WFIU/WTIU News to be one of nearly 30 new host newsroom partners for next year. This national service program places talented emerging journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered topics and communities across the United States and its territories.
 
“Far too many Americans desperately need reliable, fact-based information to make decisions about their daily lives, and a growing number of local newsrooms are turning to us for support,” said Kim Kleman, senior vice president of Report for America. “We were blown away by the breadth of applications we received, and only wish we had the ability to bring on even more newsrooms this year.”
 
Report for America will help fund a new reporter for WFIU/WTIU News who will cover higher education.
 
“We are honored to receive support from Report for America to expand our local news coverage,” said WFIU/WTIU News bureau chief Sara Wittmeyer. “This position will allow us to report on the cost of higher education, the enrollment cliff, the skills gap, workforce training, and more.”

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In addition to WFIU/WTIU News, among those selected to be a Report for America newsroom were recently-launched nonprofits like the Baltimore Banner, which is bringing back desperately needed coverage following cuts by hedge fund ownership at the city’s legacy newspaper; the Uvalde Leader-News, serving a Texas community still reeling from a devastating school shooting; and Metro Puerto Rico, which looks to deepen its health reporting as the island faces an aging population and struggles to recover from recent hurricanes. Several newsrooms will hire corps members to cover local sports (stories that go beyond the scoreboard); others will be fielding corps members to cover faith and religion.
 
With these additions, Report for America corps members will be working next year in nearly 220 newsrooms across the United States, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and Guam. The full list of new newsrooms and beats can be found here.
 
Now that the newsroom selections have been made, Report for America is seeking talented, service-minded journalists and photographers to join its reporting corps—a two-year program (with an option for three years).
 
“Report for America provides a unique opportunity for journalists to pursue meaningful, local beat reporting that sadly is missing from many of today’s newsrooms,” said Earl Johnson, director of admissions at Report for America. “Beyond talented reporters and photojournalists, we are looking for a diversity of individuals who see journalism as a calling, who want to make a difference within their communities.”
 
The deadline to apply for the WFIU/WTIU higher education reporter position is Jan. 30, 2023. Report for America is hosting several information sessions between now and then. To learn more, visit reportforamerica.org/apply or contact a member of the recruitment team at [email protected].