The Kansas City Beacon is looking for a motivated mid-career reporter to cover health care, with an emphasis on consumer advocacy and disparities in access. We also want to give that reporter the freedom to identify and pursue health stories they’re passionate about in our community.
The work will often look at national trends in the health care industry and reveal how they’re playing out in KC. We’ll look to this reporter to explain systemic problems and help guide our audience through the confusing way the U.S. devotes nearly a fifth of its economy to health care and how it rations those services.
We’ll want you to understand local and state health policies and whether they respond adequately to the needs of a diverse place like KC. How much does geography equal destiny in health outcomes in Kansas City. Their reporting will be about what solutions are working, and which ones are not.
We rarely cover daily news at The Beacon, so this reporter will have the time to dig deeply into stories, producing three or four stories of 800-2,000 words each a month.
We want a curious reporter who sees journalism as a public service. They also need to come with a track record that shows strong reporting and writing talent.
While we set out requirements below, we encourage you to apply even if you don’t think you meet them. We just want someone who can thrive on this beat with stories that come with explanation and discovery.
Before any job interview, we’ll supply you with the questions ahead of time. Mostly, we’ll want to hear how you’d attack this beat. So come with a plan.
Job description:
- Stays on top of trends on the health care beat. Develops sources and their own expertise on health-related topics.
- Identifies, researches, pitches, writes, and reports stories on a level of sophistication that matches metropolitan newspapers.
- Builds expertise on consumer health care stories that arm our readers in navigating the medical care industry.
- Tracks source demographics.
- Reports and writes long-form and shorter-turn stories about local and regional health issues with close attention to policies and legislation, health outcomes, patient experience, industry behavior, and advocacy positions.
- Finds and analyzes health data to uncover hidden developments.
- Engages with readers and participates in radio shows, public events, and live video.
- Uses sources, story ideas, research, and writing that reflects Kansas City’s diversity and the difference in health experience for many communities.
Requirements:
A Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience and at least five years of professional experience as a working reporter.
Preferred qualifications:
- At least five years of experience reporting and writing for professional news organizations.
- Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, or related field.
- Powerful writing skills, proven news judgment, and a strong commitment to journalistic ethics.
- A desire to diversify the sources in your reporting to cover a wide range of demographics and philosophical outlook.
- Familiarity with the health care industry.
- An ability to understand science and translate complex medical ideas to a lay audience.
- A record of writing stories with impact, clarity, and thoughtful skepticism.
- A demonstrated ability to take direction and work collaboratively.
- A demonstrated ability to meet deadlines.
- Enthusiasm for independent, nonprofit news media and collaboration with other outlets.
- A passion for community journalism.
- Residing in or willing to relocate to the Kansas City metro.
- Familiarity with data sets and records, mainly health-related.
- Knowledge of health policies and issues, particularly in Kansas and Missouri.
- Fluency in Spanish or another language besides English.
Salary: $60,000 to $75,000 a year depending on experience and reporting portfolio.
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