MACON, Ga. — Mercer University May 2025 graduates Amélie Horace and Megan Jackson are the first Mercerians appointed to Report for America corps, a national service program that places talented, emerging journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered topics and communities across the U.S. and its territories.
This year’s 107 incoming corps members were selected from a competitive pool of more than 1,300 applicants. The incoming corps members are from 34 states and Puerto Rico and will be placed in 101 newsrooms across the country. Among all 2025-26 corps members, more than one-third will focus on communities of color and/or immigrant communities and close to a quarter will be covering rural communities.
“It’s a good day for journalism as we welcome 107 next-generation journalists into a compelling phase of their careers at a time when their energy, integrity and skill are urgently needed,” said Kim Kleman, executive director at Report for America. “Our model of corps member recruitment and newsroom partnerships is a proven solution to today’s crisis in local news, bringing voice and coverage to under-covered communities and building back trust in media as a central pillar of our democracy.”
Horace and Jackson will begin their assignments in July and report on a range of communities and community-informed issues that, in many cases, have never received dedicated coverage.
“I am thrilled that these two student journalists are being recognized as some of the leading young reporters in the country,” said Debbie Blankenship, assistant professor of journalism and media studies and director of the Reg Murphy Center for Collaborative Journalism. “Both Megan and Amélie took advantage of the Murphy Center’s local media partnerships to get experience in real newsrooms that I’m sure helped them land these prestigious fellowships.”
Horace, from Decatur, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism in May and was the campus news editor of student newspaper The Cluster. As a student, she worked for the Macon Newsroom, Georgia Public Broadcasting, Macon Magazine, Macon Arts Alliance and interned with TV station 13WMAZ.
She has covered local businesses, breaking news, community events, student programs, local and federal government proceedings, court cases, and profiles. During her senior year, she started a podcast on Waffle House stories, set to launch later in 2025.
Horace will be joining WUSF in Tampa, Florida, as an audience engagement producer.
“Accepting a job to work for an NPR station and become a producer and reporter is literally a dream come true,” said Horace. “The best thing about Report for America is its commitment to placing more journalists in newsrooms with the assurance that they are there to do good, ethical reporting … for the places they serve.”
Jackson, from Villa Rica, graduated with her bachelor’s degree in journalism in May and worked as an intern for The (Macon) Telegraph and Georgia Public Broadcasting. She also acted as editor-in-chief for The Cluster. As a student, Jackson worked to tell stories researching blight and illegal dumping in her community, focused on school and educational issues, and researched pedestrian safety issues throughout Macon-Bibb County.
She will be joining the Marietta Daily Journal as a city government reporter in suburban Atlanta.
“Local journalism makes a huge impact on people’s lives, and I’m excited to be part of something that makes a difference,” said Jackson. “I can’t wait to be part of something that makes meaningful and positive impacts in so many communities.”
The incoming journalists bring Report for America’s current, active reporter corps to 187, with 80 continuing their service into their second or third year.
“Eighty-two percent of Report for America corps members stay in journalism after they graduate from the program, where their expertise and commitment are so urgently needed,” said Jason Blakeney, director of corps and newsroom excellence at Report for America.
With this incoming cohort, Report for America will have matched more than 750 journalists with local newspapers, public radio stations, digital platforms and television outlets across the country since its launch in 2017.
“The Report for America mission of addressing news and information gaps is a big part of the journalism program here at Mercer, and I can’t wait to see what Megan and Amélie do in these positions,” said Blankenship.
About Report for America
By creating a new, sustainable model for journalism, Report for America provides people with the information they need to improve their communities, hold powerful institutions accountable, and restore trust in the media. Report for America launched in 2017 as an initiative of The GroundTruth Project, an award-winning nonprofit journalism organization dedicated to rebuilding journalism from the ground up.
