TOWER—The Timberjay is pleased to announce that it has been selected as a 2026 Report for America host newsroom. The Timberjay will join an expanding network of more than 175 newsrooms across the country benefiting from the support of this nonprofit program.
Through this partnership, the Timberjay will expand its coverage of government reporting on the Iron Range.
“Many of our communities don’t have a newspaper or reporter consistently covering their local government,” said Robert Monteith, managing editor. “Here at the Timberjay, we’ve made it our mission to help fill those gaps. We’re grateful to RFA for partnering with us to help provide this essential service.”
Journalists interested in this position can apply at https://www.reportforamerica.org/reporters/ by Feb. 16, with references due by Feb. 23. Journalists can also contact the Timberjay directly since the newspaper can recommend a reporter for the position.
Report for America places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues and communities and they liked what they found with the Timberjay. “Your application was selected because of the quality of your news organization, your commitment to local journalism and your proposal for how to deploy a Report for America journalist to serve your community,” wrote Jason Blakeney, director of corps and newsroom excellence at RFA.
RFA has developed a proven partnership model that is structured to harness the skills and idealism of an emerging group of journalists plus the creative spirit of local news organizations like the Timberjay.
Report for America is a two-year program (with an option for three) that delivers a wide range of benefits to its corps members. Beyond paying up to half of the journalists’ salaries, it provides ongoing training and mentorship by leading journalists, peer networking, and memberships to select professional organizations. The organization also provides assistance in developing a fundraising system to help support the newspaper’s long term mission.
Readers can support that vital mission to preserve local news by donating at the Timberjay’s website at www.timberjay.com.
In addition to the Timberjay, longtime Timberjay news partner, Grand Rapids-based KAXE radio, will also be hosting a corps member, who will focus their reporting on Minnesota’s Mississippi River headwaters region.
Highlights from host newsrooms this year include:
Nearly half (49 percent) of incoming newsrooms are small newsrooms, with nine or fewer editorial staffers. The addition of a new reporter covering an essential beat in a small newsroom can have a transformational impact on their ability to expand access to local news and information for their community.
54 percent of newsroom partners will have their corps members cover rural communities, local government, or the environment — demonstrating an urgent need to expand these areas of coverage.
 38 percent of newsrooms are digital-only, though many offer a digital component in addition to their primary medium. Public radio and TV stations received 11 new positions, providing a critical layer of support during a time of funding challenges for public media.
 All Report for America newsrooms operate in service to their community, with 65 percent of newsrooms being nonprofit. More than half (54 percent) are brand new to the Report for America network and will be hiring their first-ever corps member.
“The selected newsrooms are a strong cross-section of the current media landscape,” said Blakeney. “Each newsroom has been carefully selected, and we are confident in their ability to harness unique, local knowledge and provide community-centered news coverage.”