Territory: Worldwide
Theme: Locally relevant and representative visual journalism
Eligibility: Newsrooms
Entry Fees: Free
CatchLight and Report for America are announcing an expanded partnership to place subsidized photojournalists in up to 20 local newsrooms throughout the United States in 2025 and provide comprehensive photo desk support to all participating organizations.
The news represents a significant expansion of the CatchLight Local Visual Desk, which offers fee-based memberships for visual production, editing support, and training for its newsroom members. At a time when local newsroom photo desks have been decimated, the Visual Desk provides shared visual journalism services at a fractional cost so newsrooms can deliver information, advance representation, and engage their audiences through relevant, high-quality visual stories and content.
“It is a true privilege to build on the success of the CatchLight Local Visual Desk and our partnership with Report for America. In this era of highly visual communication, it is critical that we serve audiences where they are,” said Elodie Mailliet Storm, CEO of CatchLight. “The benefit of having a full-time photojournalism Fellow and a news team backed by the CatchLight Local Visual Desk is that our members can increase their capacities at every stage of the reporting process, from visual documentation to distribution and engagement."
CatchLight and Report for America will pay half the photojournalists’ salary the first year, 33% the second year and 20% the third year. They will recruit photojournalists, creating slates of candidates for newsrooms to further vet and select. These journalists work directly for the newsrooms, receiving professional development, mentorship, and other opportunities from Report for America. As CatchLight Local Visual Desk members, newsrooms will have access to tools, training, and editing support for their photojournalist and other newsroom staff.
“We are delighted to move into this next phase of partnership with CatchLight,” said Rob Zeaske, president and CEO of The GroundTruth Project, Report for America’s parent organization. “Report for America is focused on supporting the next generation of journalists and newsrooms and this partnership strengthens reporters, news organizations and communities with sustainable investments in new media.”
The expansion follows the organizations’ successful partnership in California, launched in 2019, with support from numerous philanthropic organizations in the journalism field.
“The partnership with CatchLight and Report for America, and having someone as talented as staff photographer Pablo Unzueta, has really helped us see how critical visuals are to serving communities, especially underrepresented communities. They literally get to see themselves reflected in the stories,” said Erika Carlos, editor in chief of El Tecolote.
Photojournalists in the cohort receive coaching and editing support to develop visually-driven stories, features, and editorial products and maximize engagement online and in their communities. Their benefits also include workshops and professional development, networking and community-building with peers and mentors, and access to additional resources through the CatchLight Impact Fund.
CatchLight’s membership offerings provide local newsrooms with shared visual support, regardless of the size and scope of their existing visual resources. CatchLight Local Visual Desk services include access to photo editors, hands-on visual content production support, editing tools, and photo archiving software to ensure the quality, integrity, and long-term utility of members’ visual libraries. Member newsrooms can also gain access to visual storytelling, photo editing, and multimedia production workshops, customized support, and one-on-one coaching to strengthen the adoption of visual practices across their organizations.
Report for America, which has fielded more than 650 journalists in nearly 400 newsrooms throughout the country, provides ongoing training, networking, mentorship and support for corps members, and hands-on fundraising support, networking and other help for newsrooms.
Since 2019, the CatchLight Local Visual Desk has strengthened local newsrooms and supported the creation of 10 long-term visual journalism positions. The organization’s impact is reflected in the achievements of its Local Fellows, with Aryana Noroozi named a 2024 Pulitzer Center Global Health Reporting Fellow, Sree Sripathy as a finalist for the California Journalism Award, and Hiram Alejandro Durán’s project "Postcards from ‘La Pulga’" nominated for the prestigious Premio Gabo Award, sometimes referred to as the "Pulitzer of Latin America." Additionally, CatchLight’s CEO, Elodie Mailliet Storm, received the NPPA Innovation Award, highlighting the organization's leadership in advancing visual journalism. The initiative's success underscores the vital role of visual journalism in local media and the importance of sustained investment in this field.
“I’m excited to work in a newsroom that places community outreach and engagement at the center of their reporting,” said Hiram Alejandro Durán, CatchLight Local Fellow/RFA corps member at El Tímpano. “The prospect of teaming up with reporters on long-term projects, and the freedom to form visuals led by the interests of Latino and Mayan communities, makes the CatchLight and Report for America fellowship at El Tímpano stand out as one of the most inspiring opportunities in photojournalism.”
Over the last year, CatchLight has had eight Fellows working in communities throughout California, as well as North Carolina. Three newsrooms, including Wisconsin Watch, Enlace Latino NC, and The Current, joined the CatchLight Visual Desk in August, expanding the geography of newsrooms it serves to reach audiences in key states during a general election year and beyond.
The CatchLight Local Visual Desk was made possible with initial investments from Enlight Foundation, Hearst Foundations, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and The Kresge Foundation, in partnership with PhotoWings. Additional support has since come from the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Report for America, Arnold Ventures, the MacArthur Foundation and Press Forward.
