Health care disparities affecting Native Hawaiians, doctor shortages and access to care in more remote areas of Hawaii will be at the heart of a new yearlong reporting initiative we plan to launch this summer as part of a grant from Report for America.

Civil Beat is one of about 60 news organizations that will receive funding from the national service program that places talented emerging journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered topics and communities.

Launched in 2017 and donor-financed, Report for America aims to create a new, sustainable system that provides Americans with the information they need to improve their communities, hold powerful institutions accountable and rebuild trust in the media. It is an initiative of The GroundTruth Project, an award-winning nonprofit media organization with an established track record of training and supporting teams of emerging journalists around the world and in the U.S.

“We’re excited and honored to be part of Report For America, a much-needed program aimed at strengthening local reporting and coverage of often-neglected topics,” said Jim Simon, Civi Beat managing editor. “The RFA reporter will allow Civil Beat to take a deep dive into Hawaii’s critical health care challenges.”

The reporter will be based in our Honolulu newsroom but our health care coverage will be statewide. Travel to neighbor islands, especially rural areas, will be a key component as we explore the state’s public health concerns.

We expect our new reporter to be on board by June 1. In fact, Report for America is still accepting applications to be a corps member until Feb 8. Click here for more information and the application form.

Corps members typically have three to six years of experience, although the organization encourages accomplished recent graduates to apply. More than half of the current corps members have returned to their home states, Report for America says.

Report for America currently has 13 reporters in Georgia, Mississippi, Kentucky, New Mexico, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Texas and West Virginia. The leap in 2019 to 60 reporters nationwide, and the goal of 1,000 reporters by 2023 speaks to the urgent need to close the local news reporting gap, the organization says.

The program, funded by both private and public donors, pays for half of each reporter’s salary and the remainder is covered by the local newsroom and local benefactors.