Fort Worth Star-Telegram seeks health care reporter

We’re looking for a curious, motivated reporter to help make sense of a complicated topic for our North Texas audience.

This position will cover wait times, quality of care and the cost of benefits and services. We’re also looking to dig in on Medicare and Medicaid, in addition to those that access health care through the ACA. As Texas grows and ages, its commitment to quality care will become an even more pressing challenge.

In Fort Worth and North Texas, many rely on the county for health care services. Access to cost and quality of care data points for government services can be used to ensure accountability measures are in place within our county system.

This reporter’s has significant potential to reach a new audience and to do the public service work that is so important today.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:

The successful candidate will operate with an insatiable curiosity, and will prefer to report from outside the office, uncovering the latest health-related developments in this dynamic region. He or she will successfully share his or her work (stories, databases, interactives, etc) across multiple platforms and outlets.

The ability to tell a story independent of words – using video and other alt story forms – is critical. Social distribution channels will be used effectively. A review of metrics and what can be learned from them will be part of this reporter’s regular routine.

QUALIFICATIONS:

-Strong writing and reporting skills and excellent news judgment.

-Unwavering commitment to accurate, ethical journalism.

-Fluency in the science of readership and engagement, including an understanding of metrics/analytics programs including Chartbeat, Crowdtangle and Omniture and development of story ideas derived from data.

-Understanding of SEO and other optimization opportunities and a demonstrated ability to learn new skills in social and digital.

-Strong interpersonal skills, including empathy and the ability to take and give constructive criticism. The new workflows require constant conversations between reporters and editors and between reporters and their audience as a story evolves.

-Understanding of open records law and ability to file, manage and oversee requests pertinent to beat work.

-Ability to engage with readers and develop sources on social media platforms including but not limited to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

-Ability to develop breadth and variety of sources.

-Ability to understand audience lenses and correctly identify audience for selected stories.

-Ability to work on both daily and enterprise stories concurrently, delivering both with consistency.

-Ability to meet deadlines.

-Ability to capture video and edit it (using phone).

-Ability to work collaboratively on projects ranging from podcasts to video to enterprise stories. We will work comfortably in a job that will be fast-paced, data-driven, shaped constantly by feedback and experimentation and always evolving.

To apply, go here.