The Bucks County Beacon has been selected as a host newsroom partner for Report for America.
Report for America is a national service program, placing early career and emerging journalists in vetted partner newsrooms to address local underserved topics, issues and communities.
“We are thrilled, not only for the Beacon, but for the community.
“Report for America is an incredible organization and they will be subsidizing the cost of a full-time, dedicated beat reporter, which will allow us to better inform the community,” said Daralyse Lyons, Bucks County Beacon chief revenue officer.
The corps member will cover the education beat in lower Bucks County and will investigate and report on policy, equity, and disparities to inform and shape public discourse.
As of publication, Boston-based Report for America has placed 758 reporters in newsrooms nationwide; supports 429 newsroom partners and has raised $59.5 million for local newsrooms across the country.
“The collapse of local journalism has created a crisis for democracy. Residents no longer get the information they need to understand the critical issues facing their community, to make good decisions for their family and hold elected officials accountable.” – Report for America
According to Lyons, Report for America will pay 50% of the full-time beat reporter’s 2026 salary. Bucks County Beacon and donor support will shore up the balance to fund the position.
“If every one of our readers, supporters, friends and fans contributed $1 earmarked for our new reporter’s salary, we will meet our 2026 fundraising goal,” Lyons explained.
She said the successful Report for America candidate is likely aware of the importance of the connection between trusted local news and community building.
“My hope is that providing a reporter the opportunity to work for a mission-driven news organization like the Beacon will enable the next generation of journalists to continue to contribute their talents,” Lyons said.
This is the second collaborative partnership for Bucks County Beacon with news organizations in less than a year.
In April 2025, Bucks County Beacon announced it had been selected to join nearly 50 independent newsrooms across the country to participate in a pilot program sponsored by the Associated Press Fund for Journalism (APFJ). AP News operates around the globe.
“I suspect that an early career journalist will have a lot to teach us, just as our editorial team will have a lot to teach them. Anyone who would apply to Report for America and be accepted into their highly-competitive program will care about local journalism, truth and integrity in reporting,” Lyons said.
Emily Smith, publisher of Bucks County Beacon said the Report for America partnership supports The Beacon’s initiatives and “our vision to more deeply cover education in Bucks County” will be further realized.
Smith, who helped launch the Beacon before acquiring ownership in 2024, said while the online news platform – which is free to all visitors with no paywall or subscription access – has grown each year, having enough reporters and funds to deeply cover school districts in Bucks County has been a continuing challenge.
“This will be a huge benefit for us and the community. I also think it’s such a vote of confidence for our organization to have a partner in Report for America,” Smith said in an email.
Lyons said being selected from other qualified news outlet candidates for a placement is an honor.
“This opportunity is one we will be sure to leverage to make a massive impact, and I can’t wait to read the stories that the Report for America corps member produces,” Lyons said.
A large part of Bucks County Beacon’s mission is to amplify local voices and build trust in the community.
“This partnership with Report for America will allow us to put a trained reporter directly into the community, continuing to build trust as well as allowing for context in reporting that isn’t available through an algorithm or scan of internet data,” Smith said.
Smith added that the Report for America partnership will provide additional capacity “to be in the rooms where decisions are being made” so readers have the opportunity for a deeper understanding of decisions made by those sitting in boardrooms, on school boards and in classrooms.
“For our readership, it means having a dedicated watchdog that ensures that local government remains transparent and accessible to the people it serves,” Smith said.
To learn more about donating to support the Bucks County Beacon or become involved in grassroots fundraising initiatives, contact info(at)buckscountybeacon.com
