PULLMAN, WA. — Washington State University’s Murrow College of Communication and Report for America have launched an ambitious partnership to cover every one of Washington’s counties by 2029, aiming to fill reporting gaps as newsrooms shrink and misinformation spreads across the state.
The first-of-its-kind collaboration brings together Washington’s land-grant university and the nation’s leading nonprofit program for placing journalists in local newsrooms, with a bold goal: ensuring that every county in the state has reliable, local reporting.
WSU and Report for America aim to place 39 reporters in Washington local newsrooms by 2029, with the first cohort of up to 13 journalists beginning in 2027. Details on how newsrooms and journalists can apply will be announced later this year.
“Report for America is thrilled to be collaborating with the Murrow News Fellowship program to support local newsrooms across Washington,” said Rob Zeaske, CEO and president of Report Local, home of Report for America. “Communities are made stronger and residents better informed by having reporters who hold public officials accountable and make news available and accessible to readers. We are confident this partnership will do just that, and we hope that this partnership serves as a model for other states.”
The collaboration builds on two proven efforts already strengthening local journalism in Washington. The Murrow News Fellowship program, launched in 2023, was created to deepen trustworthy local reporting while providing aspiring journalists with vital, on-the-job experience. Today, 16 Murrow Fellows are working in newsrooms across the state and have collectively produced more than 3,000 stories.
At the same time, Report for America has supported local journalism in Washington since 2019, placing 17 corps members in newsrooms across the state to expand coverage on critical, often underreported issues while strengthening newsroom capacity and organizational sustainability.
Every dollar invested in this partnership leverages existing funding, Report for America’s national infrastructure, and WSU’s land-grant reach across the state.
Bruce Pinkleton, dean
Edward R. Murrow College of Communication
Washington State University
“Murrow Fellows do a tremendous service to the communities they cover while receiving the best possible on-the-job training for journalists,” said Bruce Pinkleton, dean of the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication. “Every dollar invested in this partnership leverages existing funding, Report for America’s national infrastructure, and WSU’s land-grant reach across the state.”
Philanthropy will be essential to the success of this public-private effort. The five-year, $10 million initiative will dramatically expand access to local news statewide and will rely on a combination of private philanthropy and public support from the Washington State Legislature. Murrow and Report for America seek to raise $5 million in new pledges this year to launch the program.
“I’m thrilled to see Report for America and Washington State University come together to strengthen local news across Washington,” said Dale Anglin, executive director of Press Forward. “This partnership is a powerful example of what’s possible when a trusted journalism organization and a statewide academic leader align around a shared public mission. By combining their reach and expertise, they are expanding impact in ways neither could achieve alone. At Press Forward, we hope this collaboration inspires similar, ambitious partnerships in states across the country to broaden access to high-quality local news in communities everywhere.”
The urgency is clear. A 2025 study conducted by Murrow faculty found two counties had no news outlets and five counties had only one news outlet, according to WSU researchers. Additionally, many existing outlets operate on precariously small budgets, signaling limited staffing and long-term sustainability challenges.
“Local journalism is the backbone of a strong, independent press — and it’s the very foundation of a healthy democracy. At a time when our democracy is in crisis, this partnership is an exciting effort to bolster local journalism and ensure Washington’s communities have the information they need and deserve,” said Sen. Marko Liias (D-Edmonds), who championed the Murrow Fellows’ original request for state funding alongside former state Sen. Karen Keiser (D-Des Moines).
“Washington will systematically eliminate news deserts and create a model that can be replicated across the country,” said Ben Shors, Murrow Fellowship director and chair of the Department of Journalism and Media Production at WSU. “We’re building upon our Murrow Fellowship program and ensuring we’re not just placing reporters—we’re building the infrastructure for sustainable local journalism in communities that have been invisible for too long.”
