JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – This summer, News4JAX will be introducing a new beat to our newsroom: The Neighborhood Accountability & Solutions Beat.
The goal is to directly address a critical information gap in Jacksonville, and the reporter position will be filled in partnership with Report for America, an initiative of Report Local, a nonprofit journalism organization dedicated to strengthening local journalism across the U.S. and around the world.
News4JAX was selected as one of Report for America’s new 2026 newsroom partners, and by July 2026, more than 200 Report for America corps member journalists will be assigned to newsrooms across the country.
“We’re thrilled to be working with partners who are bringing new programming, depth and scale to local news,” said Kim Kleman, executive director of Report for America. “I’m especially excited that our partnerships have the potential to expand to many more communities.”
Report for America recruits, places and supports talented journalists in local newsrooms across the U.S., providing salary support, training, and newsroom sustainability coaching.
These efforts enable the newsroom partners, like News4JAX, to expand coverage on critical, often overlooked issues and strengthen trust with their audiences.
According to Report for American, more than half (54%) of newsroom partners, including News4JAX, are brand new to the network and will be hiring their first-ever corps member.
“The selected newsrooms are a strong cross-section of the current media landscape,” said Jason Blakeney, Report for America’s director of corps and newsroom excellence. “Each newsroom has been carefully selected, and we are confident in their ability to harness unique, local knowledge and provide community-centered news coverage.”
Find the list of incoming host newsroom partners and available journalist positions here.
Corps member applications open
Journalists are now invited to apply for dozens of open positions by Feb. 16, 2026. Applicants need only fill out one application, though they may indicate interest in multiple positions.
“Report for America invites journalists from diverse backgrounds to join the existing fabric of Report for America reporters and newsrooms, who ensure that critical local issues are amplified,” said Earl Johnson, vice president of recruitment and alumni engagement at Report for America.
New corps members will join a group of more than 750 current and former Report for America journalists. More than 80% of Report for America alumni continue to work in the field.
Selected corps members will begin working at their host newsrooms on July 13, 2026.
Interested journalists are encouraged to attend an information session and explore the benefits of becoming a corps member: reportforamerica.org/apply.