High Country News and Report For America are seeking four newsrooms to join our Western Environmental Reporting Collaborative and host reporters focused on the land, water, climate and people of the West.

As the climate changes and aridifies, demand for housing, data centers and resources are straining the Western landscape. New residents are challenging longtime residents’ views of how to live on the land. And the regulatory framework that’s governed land management for decades is shifting rapidly, sidelining tribal nations, worrying ranchers and heightening fears about water, who gets to access it, and who doesn’t. 

Each of these stories is inextricably tied to the land, and High Country News and Report for America are looking for newsrooms that want to help tell the story of their communities — and what those stories mean for the rest of the West. In the first few months of our first cohort, WERC reporters in Wyoming, Montana, Arizona and Colorado are covering wildfires and water as well as conflicts over wildlife, extraction and the border wall. 

Newsroom applications are now open. They close on Oct. 19.

Apply now.

Interested in applying? Contact HCN Partnerships Editor Billy Arnold at billy.arnold@hcn.org to talk about the program.

What does WERC offer?

  • A reporter. Your newsrooms hire a full-time reporter dedicated to covering environmental issues like public lands, wildlife and water, and wildfire and drought. We are focused on partnering with newsrooms that prioritize covering rural and Indigenous communities.
  • Salary support. RFA and HCN cover 50% of corps member salaries in the first year (up to $30,000 for experienced journalists), 33% in the second and 20% in an optional third year. 
  • Fundraising support. RFA and High Country News provide business development and fundraising support to help your newsroom cover their portion of the reporter’s salaries. HCN’s fundraising staff will connect your newsrooms with local and regional funders.
  • Reach. HCN’s marketing team will help push stories to Westwide and national audiences, including in statehouses and Washington, D.C. 
  • Collaboration. WERC reporters work with one another from time-to-time to produce high-impact, cross-newsroom collaborations. 
  • Talent development. In addition to being mentored by your newsrooms’ editorial team, reporters will work with High Country News’ partnerships editor as well as other editors on our three desks: climate and science; land, water and wildlife; and Indigenous affairs.
  • Training. WERC will coordinate training for the collaborative focused on covering Indigenous communities, investigative reporting and specific environmental issues. 
  • Peer support. WERC reporters are plugged into RFA’s nationwide network, as well as the current cohort of WERC reporters in the Mountain West. The cohort provides mutual support for reporters to share brainstorm story ideas, share best practices, and troubleshoot reporting problems.

How does it work?

  • Your newsroom employs and supervises the reporter.
  • WERC reporters spend 75% of their time reporting on local and statewide issues for their host newsroom and 25% of their time covering regional stories with High Country News. WERC reporters are expected to produce one 800-1200 word story a month for HCN.
  • HCN’s partnerships editor works with your newsroom to ensure stories reported for HCN are in line with your editorial goals.
  • All reporting produced by WERC reporters is available to every host newsroom for republication at no cost.

How do I apply?

Applications are now open and close October 19. Interested newsrooms can apply here.

Your application should detail your proposed beat and explain why you want to be part of this project. Mention that you are applying to be part of WERC in the beat description.

How does reporter hiring work? 

Newsrooms will be selected in early January. The RFA reporter application period is typically mid-January to -February after which newsrooms will be presented with several candidates to make the final hire. Reporters will start working in July 2027.

Who’s eligible to apply? 

This year we are looking to partner with newsrooms located in Alaska, California, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, or Utah. We are especially interested in expansion in Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada or Utah. 

What if I have other questions?  

Please contact Jason Blakeney at jblakeney@reportforamerica.org or Billy Arnold at billy.arnold@hcn.org.

About High Country News

High Country News is an independent, reader-supported nonprofit 501(c)3 media organization that covers the important issues and stories that define the Western United States. Our mission is to inform and inspire people to act on behalf of the West’s diverse natural and human communities.

For more than 50 years, HCN has produced incisive public-interest journalism about a region that spans 12 states and hundreds of tribal nations. From small towns and rural communities to the urban populace, we cover Westerners’ complex coexistence with sublime landscapes, scarce water resources and rich natural ecosystems.

From its early days in Lander, Wyoming, HCN has been powered by its readers, who provide three-quarters of the organization’s annual revenue. In addition to their subscription dues, over 5,000 readers make donations each year, which directly supports our journalists.

With a homebase in Paonia, Colorado, a staff of 30, and a far-flung community of freelance journalists, HCN reaches an audience of millions through our newsletters, monthly print magazine and our website; partnerships with hundreds of local newspapers and statewide news sites that republish our work at no cost; collaborations with national news organizations such as The New York Times, the Pulitzer Center and ProPublica; and content-sharing consortiums including the Rural News Network and Climate Desk.

Learn more about HCN and our remarkable history here.

About Report for America

Report for America recruits, trains, and supports talented journalists to serve in local newsrooms across the United States, focusing on under-covered communities and issues. We partner with newsrooms to build long-term sustainability through salary support, fundraising coaching, and revenue development.

Report for America is an initiative of Report Local, a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening local journalism in the U.S. and around the world. 

Learn more about becoming a host newsroom here.