Meriden Record-Journal Named Report for America Newsroom; Two Journalists to Focus on Health Equity and Latino Communities

The Meriden Record-Journal has been selected as a Report for America host newsroom, which will bring two Report for America corps members to the newspaper’s newsroom.

“We're thrilled that with our new team members we'll be able to provide in-depth Health Equity and Latino Communities news,” said Record-Journal publisher Liz White in an eblast to subscribers.  

 “We believe in local journalism for the community, supported by the community,” she added, noting that contributions made to the newspaper “directly helps support these two newsroom positions and keeps your community news coverage flowing.” Report for America funds half of the corps members' salaries; the other half is fundraised by the host newspaper.

Report for America is a national program that matches local newsrooms with talented reporters who work to provide in-depth coverage on under-reported issues and communities - reporting that local communities “would otherwise go without.”

The nonprofit organization’s mission is to “strengthen our communities and our democracy through local journalism that is truthful, fearless, fair and smart.” The organization’s website points out that “the collapse of local journalism has created a crisis for democracy. Residents no longer get the information they need to understand the critical issues facing their community, to make good decisions for their family, and hold elected officials accountable.”  Between 1990 and 2016, the number of local reporters in the U.S. has dropped from 455,000 to 183,200, according to data highlighted by Report for America.

Report for America currently partners with 200+ new host newsrooms across the country.  Connecticut Public, better known as WNPR, has previously served as host for reporters from Report for America.  The number of Report for America reporters has grown dramatically in recent years, with only 18 as recently as 2018, a year after the program’s launch, increasing to 225 in 2020 and an estimated 300 anticipated this year.