The Community Voice is getting a full-time reporter to cover our communities. Here’s how to support their journalism.
We’ve been awarded a reporting slot from Report for America, a national program that places emerging reporters in newsrooms across the U.S. to help local newsrooms increase coverage of underserved communities.
Report for America, an initiative of The GroundTruth Project, leverages a 3:1 regional funding match model, with RFA paying half of a corps member’s salary, while encouraging and supporting its local news organization partners to contribute one-quarter and local and regional funders to contribute the final quarter.
This approach promotes new models for shared investment in local journalism, increasing the chances of sustaining on-the-ground reporting, for the community, by the community.
The Community Voice reporter will be based in Kansas City to expand our coverage of the metro area’s African-American community. The Community Voice expanded its reach into the Kansas City are three years ago, in response to the demand for better news coverage of the area’s African-American community.
“Our newspaper has been well received by the Kansas City community, but doing more requires us to expand our Kansas City-based reporting capabilities,” said Bonita Gooch, editor-in-chief of The Community Voice. “A downturn in revenue for African-American publications has made it particularly difficult for our newspapers to conduct fact-based and investigative reporting that serves our community. RFA’s funding will help make this level of reporting a reality in The Community Voice.
New Model for Growth
For more than a century, newsrooms were largely financed by revenue from local retail and classified ads aimed at reaching the audience the news stories drew. Changes in technology have dramatically changed the way people shop, advertise and get their news.
“We have to find new ways of financing this news reporting, it’s essential to the long-term viability of newspapers, and particularly the viability of the Black press,” said Gooch.
“We are grateful to Report for America for this opportunity to boost coverage. To make it permanent, we’ll need support from readers who understand the importance of quality news coverage of our community,” said Gooch. “Members and donors will determine whether we can continue to do this vital work.”
To Donate
All money donated under this appeal will be used strictly for The Community Voice’s Report For American program.
Donations can be made directly to The Community Voice CLICK HERE
Individuals wishing to make a deductible contribution, can make them directly to Report for America. If you use the link below 100% of your donation will be routed back to us. CLICK HERE