The managing editor of The Daily Mississippian has been selected as one of 61 Report for America corps members who will be placed in 50 local news organizations across the country.
Devna Bose, a senior majoring in print journalism and minoring in English and psychology, is a member of the 2019 Report for America corps. Bose will be reporting for duty at Chalkbeat in New Jersey, a nonprofit news organization with an education focus.
Bose, a Philadelphia, Mississippi native, has been working at The Daily Mississippian since her freshman year as a writer, photographer and lifestyles editor.
“I was surprised when I heard, but I am very excited about the opportunity,” she said. “My parents are both public school teachers, so Chalkbeat was my top choice going into the final rounds of the selection process. I am honored, mostly, to have been chosen to be a part of such an incredible group.”
Bose said Report for America is a nonprofit organization that places talented journalists in community journalism-focused reporting positions all over the country. RFA aims to cover underrepresented areas and issues through concise, accurate, and fair reporting.
“For a year, I will be in Newark, New Jersey, reporting on K-12 education in the area for Chalkbeat, an online media organization,” she said. “I will aim to engage with the community through a service project and balanced writing.”
Bose said her years at The Daily Mississippian have prepared her for the position.
“At the DM, I’ve covered issues from racial reconciliation and administration transparency, and I have had to do so on a short deadline,” she said. “I’ve had to adapt quickly to changing situations and manage my time well.
“My tenure at the DM has allowed me to lead special reports, write compelling news and feature stories, and take complementary photographs. I’ve also gotten to explore print design and manage social media. I’m thrilled to bring all of those things to Chalkbeat when I join their staff next month.”
Report for America is a national service program that places talented emerging journalists into local news organizations to report for one to two years on under-covered issues and communities. The website reports that it is an initiative of The GroundTruth Project, addressing an urgent need in American journalism at a time when local news deserts threaten our democracy.
“The reporters, referred to as ‘corps members,’ were chosen after a highly selective national competition that drew nearly 1,000 applications,” the website reads. “Some 70 leading journalists, editors and teachers acted as judges.”
The 2019 corps will begin reporting in June. It includes 50 newly selected journalists and 11 current Report for America corps members who will continue their service for a second year, the website reports.
“The quality of the applicant pool was mind-boggling, and their spirit—the commitment to local journalism as public service—was genuinely inspiring,” said Steven Waldman, co-founder and president of Report for America in the news release.
Corps members will attend intensive training in Houston, Texas in June, followed by the Investigative Reporters and Editors Conference before joining their newsrooms.
Three people were selected for Report for America assignments in Mississippi. They include Alex Watts, who will be reporting for Mississippi Public Broadcasting; and Eric Shelton and Michelle Liu, who will be reporting for Mississippi Today.
To read more about Report for America and the full list of reporters, visit the website here.
Tags: Devna Bose, featured, Report for America