Washington Post futures editor Zach Goldfarb and deputy futures editor Juliet Eilperin sent out the following to the staff on Tuesday:
Futures, a new newsroom department focuses on the forces shaping life in the 21st century, is seeking reporters to fill new roles as we structure the department. These roles are designed to be national authorities, covering these subjects through a mix of storytelling techniques on our site, app and beyond. Creative, audience-first approaches are encouraged.
We are aiming to fill these positions largely through existing Futures team members but would welcome outreach from anyone interested in joining Futures as a reporter. Please signal interest using this Google Form by July 21.
Thank you, Zach Goldfarb and Juliet Eilperin
Tech
Silicon Valley reporter: Breaks news and delivers scoops about the most powerful people and companies in Silicon Valley and their impact on society.
Attention economy reporter (with a visual focus): Covers creators, platforms and the flow of information and misinformation across social and traditional media. We’d be particularly interested in someone with visual skills, including video editing, design and graphics, for this role.
AI reporter: A leading reporter to cover how artificial intelligence is shaping society, from Silicon Valley to Washington and beyond.
AI in everyday life reporter: A reporter to explore how AI is changing aspects of everyday life, from work to education to culture.
AI explanatory reporter (with a visual focus): A journalist who can use visual and technical skillsets to show how AI actually works, how it’s being used and real-world implications.
Information wars reporter: A reporter who covers how actors in politics and society use technology and the internet to shape debates, inform and misinform.
Tech policy reporter: Covers the collision of technology, politics and policy.
Business
Executive leadership reporter/columnist: Covers how top business leaders run companies and influence politics, culture, and society.
National business reporter: Tells big-picture stories about U.S. businesses, corporate culture, and the transformation of American industry in the modern economy.
Global competition reporter: Covers the global battle over innovation; the business implications of geopolitics, from China to the Middle East; supply chains; global energy and other global business issues.
Health
Medical discoveries reporter: Reveals the latest news about cutting-edge research and medical discoveries and produces compelling stories about the future of health.
Cancer reporter: Provides authoritative, insightful coverage of trends in cancer diagnosis and care.
Mental health: Illuminates how our mental health is affected by changes in science, culture and technology.
Chronic disease reporter: Investigates how chronic conditions — including issues related to diet and obesity — are shaping American life, and how institutions and the medical industry are responding.
Frontiers of health reporter (with a visual focus): Illuminates major trends, discoveries, and challenges at the cutting edge of health and medicine. We’d be particularly interested in someone with visual skills for this role.
Generations health reporter: Explores how health is experienced by people of different backgrounds at key moments in their life — from childhood through middle age to the older years.
Drug and treatments reporter: Explores the way that drug companies are changing medical treatment and people’s health, along with how the industry is profiting from innovation and working to shape public policy.
Insurance, health systems and the cost of care reporter: Covers how hospitals, insurers and health systems affect Americans’ access to medical care and drive costs and the patient experience.
Alternative care and wellness reporter: Explores the rise of alternative treatments and wellness culture, the quest for longevity and how Americans are navigating trust and health outside traditional medicine.
The memo goes on to state that they’re looking for general assignment reporters in these areas.
