Technical.ly’s new Report for America journalist in Baltimore will cover Maryland’s digital divide

Technical.ly is adding a new full-time reporter in Baltimore, and we intent to look statewide more than ever.

Our editorial team this summer will welcome a journalist with a focus on covering Maryland’s rural-urban digital divide, thanks to our selection as a 2025-2026 Report for America newsroom. 

Being selected again to host an RFA corps member signals a vote of confidence in our work, and recognition of the importance of this critical topic. Too few places around the country have dedicated storytelling focused on entrepreneurship, tech workforce and digital infrastructure — especially not by organizations that benchmark across regions like Technical.ly.

Our newsroom has been reporting on Baltimore’s innovation economy since 2012, and we’ve charted its rise.

Last year, the region was designated an official EDA Tech Hub for biomanufacturing, and annual VC funding for startups in the greater metropolitan area is nearly twice as high as pre-pandemic averages.  

But disparities persist. Baltimore had one of the country’s worst declines in economic mobility over the past decade, according to research from Harvard Business School. The city and county are both losing population. And like much of the US, Maryland experiences significant disparities in digital access and tech job opportunities.

As part of the 100-newsroom strong Report for America corps, our incoming reporter will dig into this issue. The program comes with national funding we can access if we bring in local supporters too. 

In addition to our services, we now have tax-deductible status, so if you or your organization wants to see more Baltimore and Maryland stories of innovation, help us. (CEO-founder Chris Wink is leading that effort, so send him a message at chris@technical.ly or schedule a call with him.)

Reporting on digital access, career pathways and solutions to disparity

Working with established market editor Sameer Rao and lead reporter Kaela Roeder, our new journalist will investigate and tell stories about the organizations and leaders working to ensure more people can benefit as the region’s tech economy continues to evolve and grow.

This is a key beat. The rising pervasiveness of technology in everyday life has created stark disparities. If you have access to technology and high-speed internet, the world is at your fingertips. If you don’t, your path to opportunity — including careers in technology, entrepreneurship and other growth sectors — narrows significantly.

Outside the city center, many Maryland communities lack high-speed internet, creating a significant barrier to economic mobility, education and participation in the modern workforce. Meanwhile, urban residents often face their own inequities, particularly communities of color that have historically been excluded from tech-driven economic growth.

Solving this gap requires a close look at what’s working and what’s not, and getting specific about how local and regional strengths and challenges factor in.

Technical.ly has a solid track record with Report for America, an initiative of the Groundtruth Project founded in 2017 that pairs emerging journalists with local newsrooms and covers partial costs while providing mentorship and training. 

We’ve previously hosted RFA corps members to report in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Baltimore, and can’t wait to begin working with our new teammate this summer.