The concept, based on national and community service programs unrelated to journalism, gives pause for thought. Report for America would be “a new national service program focused on local reporting that would more efficiently deploy philanthropic resources to media enterprises that need it most, while instilling a new sense of idealism into community-based coverage,” writes its proponent Steven Waldman

He maintains that it’s time for a dramatic new approach grounded in community services because labor intensive local journalism, especially non-profit media entities, face bottom line challenges and in some cases uncertain futures according to a Knight Foundation report. The journalist and digital entrepreneur proposed his model in white paper presented last week at the Engage Local Conference at the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University. 

The report, underwritten by the Ford Foundation, draws on lessons and successes of national and community service programs such as AmeriCorps, City Year and Teach for America. Waldman contends that these programs are effective because they support people rather than programs, achieve a national impact through local implementation and becomes sustainable thanks, in part, to community buy-in. 

He makes clear that the Report for America model is not meant to replace stand alone nonprofit or for-profit journalism organizations.

Waldman listed the highlights of his Report to America model in an article for the Columbia Journalism Review:

• Mission: To support local journalism that improves communities and the lives of residents. 
• A national nonprofit entity is supported by philanthropy, not government funding. 
• Applicants can be recent college graduates as well at early and mid-career reporters who compete for two year, paid assignments with local journalistic outfits that would themselves compete to receive the Report for America members.  
• Report for America would select the participating media entities that would include newspapers, TV stations public radio, geographically centered non-profits, issue-oriented non-profits with local branches, civic research organizations and journalism schools.