In September 2024, the NC Local News Workshop kicked off a nine-month-long training and professional development program for Report for America (RFA) corps members working in North Carolina newsrooms across the state.

Since launching in 2017, RFA has placed more than 650 reporters in about 370 newsrooms across the country in an effort to support emerging journalists and fill reporting gaps, including 30+ in North Carolina. While RFA hosts a national onboarding for corps members, this is the first state-specific training and professional development program. 

“Many of our newsrooms are facing capacity constraints and it’s often time-consuming for editors to step in and provide training. That’s where we come in and provide that support,” said the Workshop’s Executive Director Shannan Bowen. “I’m hopeful this leads to the RFA corps members feeling like they have the support that they need to cover their communities effectively and receive the coaching and insights they need to prepare for their next step in their career paths.”

The Workshop, in partnership with Cierra Brown Hinton and Carolina Beacon, is providing this year-long program to reporters and newsrooms at no cost as a way to support emerging journalists and build a bench of diverse talent across the state.

Last September, the NC RFA Cohort kicked off with a day-long intensive at Elon University where the group heard from longtime NC journalists about navigating the General Assembly, understanding the state’s changing demographics and covering immigrant, indigenous and rural communities.

Program lead Sarah Day Owen Wiskirchen has since organized a number of other virtual trainings, including “Navigating the ‘black hole’ of NC public records law” with communications lawyer Amanda Martin and a “story behind the story” training where local journalists share strategies for investigative and enterprise work.

The NC RFA Cohort will also come together the day before the March 12 NC News and Information Summit for a leadership training with Emma Carew Grovum.

“I’m excited that Emma will instruct this second in-person convening for the RFA Corps Members to support their professional growth and skill building,” Owen Wiskirchen said. “Skills such as time management and work/life balance are important for building a sustainable career in journalism.”

Participants in the NC RFA Cohort program include five new placements for 2024/2025 at WHQR, Cityview, The Assembly, INDY Week, and BPR, as well as returning newsrooms Enlace Latino NC, WFAE, WFDD and NC Health News. 

Get to know some of the NC RFA Corps Members here.