Kansas Leadership Center’s The Journal selected as 2026 newsroom partner for Report for America
Wichita, Kan. – The Kansas Leadership Center’s nonpartisan news site, The Journal, has been selected as one the 2026 newsroom partners for Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. Through the partnership, The Journal will receive holistic support: a dedicated Report for America corps member to provide essential community coverage as well as tailored training and tools to promote financial sustainability in a challenging local news landscape.
“This Report for American grant will allow us to hire a full-time civics reporter who will cover politics and government in a way that serves people, especially younger people, who don’t typically follow these topics closely. The reporter will write stories but will also work in different formats, such as developing engaging visual and rich media content. The hope is that this individual, who could come from anywhere in the country, will help take The Journal’s coverage – and KLC’s mindset – to new audiences we don’t presently serve,” said Chris Green, executive editor of The Journal.
The Journal is one of 70 selected news outlets that will welcome Report for America corps members this summer, bringing the total number of Report for America corps members in newsrooms to more than 200 by July 2026. According to Report for America’s press release, the 2026 newsroom partners reflect the resilience and diversity of the local news ecosystem as it responds to urgent, emerging industry challenges.
Report for America corps member Kevin Wurm works on assignment in downtown Memphis during a march at the Poor People’s Campaign Moral Monday event in July. (Andrea Morales/MLK50)
“We’re thrilled to be working with partners who are bringing new programming, depth and scale to local news,” said Kim Kleman, executive director of Report for America.
This is the first time in nearly five years that Report for America has brought a corps member to the Wichita region. The reporter will start working in The Journal’s newsroom by July 13, 2026.
The Journal contributes to KLC’s vision of cultivating a civic culture that is mobilized to make progress on its toughest challenges and thrive. “This is a major win for our small but talented team,” said Kaye Monk-Morgan, president and CEO of the Kansas Leadership Center. “Not only will this additional role expand The Journal’s editorial coverage, but it will also provide an extra layer of support so they can continue producing award-winning stories on important community issues.”
Journalists are invited to apply here by Feb. 16, 2026.
Learn more at KansasLeadershipCenter.org.
###
About the Kansas Leadership Center
The Kansas Leadership Center (KLC) is a first-of-its-kind nonprofit educational organization with a civic mission, national reputation and global reach. Founded in 2007 with core funding from the Kansas Health Foundation, KLC’s mission is to inspire and equip people, together, to do difficult things for the common good. KLC partners with other nonprofits, government agencies, educational institutions, businesses, philanthropies, and communities to build cultures that are mobilized to make progress on their toughest challenges and thrive. Its publications include leadership books available from Bard Press, Third Floor Research, an applied research center with the Staley School of Leadership at Kansas State University, and The Journal, a nationally recognized, award-winning civic issues magazine.
Over the past 18 years, KLC has built a strong and respected institution in Kansas designed to deliver leadership development and culture change at unparalleled scale. Now, organizations across the country and around the world look to us to provide resources and consultation to support their own aspirations for mission-driven leadership education. Learn more at www.kansasleadershipcenter.org.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Carrie Lindeman
316-393-1076
carrie@lindemancollective.com
