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Orlando-based Spectrum News 13 recognized its coverage was missing a beat. So, in June 2020, it brought on Molly Duerig, a multimedia Report for America (RFA) journalist, who earned her master’s degree from our very own Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at ASU, to cover an underreported topic — the central Florida housing crisis.
Report for America, a nonprofit national organization that recruits and supports a corps of young reporters around the country, is hoping that more local stations will hire people like Duerig — one of the few RFA journalists to join a TV newsroom.
“I was really drawn to Report for America because of its focus on community-driven journalism and telling stories for positive social impact,” she said. “I really appreciate their investment in very specific topics that outlets don’t always have the resources to cover.”
Molly Duerig (All images Courtesy of RFA)
In 2019, we reported on Spectrum News Buffalo becoming the first TV news operation to get involved with Report for America. Its journalist was Camalot Todd, who moved from Las Vegas to establish a mental health beat in Buffalo. “As a company, they looked at areas where they felt they really wanted to have additional support, [and] we were able to help,” Report for America deputy director of corps excellence Teri Hayt said.
RFA reporters usually cover beats such as education, healthcare, communities of color, rural issues, politics, local business, and the environment. But, last week, the organization released a new