Rural Health Reporter

Job Description

KFF
KFF is the leading health policy organization in the U.S. As a one-of-a-kind information organization, we bring together substantial capabilities in policy research, polling, and journalism in one organization to meet the need for a trusted, independent source of information on national health issues—one with the scope and reach to be a counterweight to health care’s vested interests and a voice for people. We have five major program areas: policy analysis, polling, journalism, public health information campaigns, and health information and trust.
KFF is not a foundation and has no connection to Kaiser Permanente. Legally, we are a public charity (an endowed national nonprofit organization). We are headquartered in San Francisco with a building in Washington, DC, conference centers in both offices, and staff members in almost every state.
 
The Team
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces original journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF. The news service is dedicated to in-depth reporting on complex health policy issues, and health system changes, with a focus on people.
 
Your Role
KFF is seeking a correspondent to cover rural health for our national newsroom that produces and distributes in-depth journalism about health issues across the country. KFF Health News has a vibrant and ambitious team covering rural health as part of its staff based in Washington, D.C., California, the Midwest, the Mountain states, and across the South.
We seek a reporter based in the mountains of North Carolina who can expose the problems with, and possible solutions to, one of the most pressing concerns to rural Americans: health care. We are looking for a reporter who can write strong stories grounded in rural America that ring true to the people who live there, but that also can be amplified for a national audience. We want scoops; we want analyses; we want lively people-centered features. Our focus is on how our health system (or lack thereof) plays out in peoples’ lives, putting a face on these issues with accountability and edge. We want this correspondent to help infuse our coverage with rapid-fire reporting and thoughtful writing on the big health policy issues affecting the diverse communities that make up rural America, including the impact of recent federal legislative and administrative health policy changes.
We’re looking for a self-starter who is a fountain of ideas and has the skills to turn their bulletproof reporting into compelling reads.
 
What You’ll Do

• Report and write at least two stories a month on how policies are affecting the health care of those in rural America, especially people living in western North Carolina and Southern Appalachia. We’ll expect a mix of coverage, including quick-turn enterprise pieces off the news, deeper dives, and projects.
• Generate edgy and compelling story ideas for you or others to execute with you.
• Develop diverse sources to tell people-focused stories on the real effects of health policies.
• Find public records, documents, and data to provide critical context and documentation of your reporting.
• Collaborate with colleagues across the newsroom to elevate our reporting, including social media, broadcast, copy desk, photo, and web teams

 
Minimum Desired Qualifications, Skills, and Experience:

• Four or more years of reporting experience (preferably covering health issues). Data skills are a plus.
• Solid reporting and writing skills.
• An ability to organize, prioritize, and maintain high-quality work amid competing deadlines, while taking initiative to solve problems.
• A collegial attitude to working with others within the organization and beyond.
• We have a strong preference for people who already reside in and have ties and sources in the mountains of North Carolina and Southern Appalachia.
• Authorization to work in the United States.

We want a journalist who wants to be part of an ambitious organization and who can collaborate and contribute to daily digital and multimedia stories, big projects, investigations, and podcasts.
The preceding position description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.
This full-time position is intended to be based in the Asheville region of western North Carolina, with responsibilities carried out remotely.
 
Compensation
Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience and qualifications. Compensation includes an outstanding benefits package equivalent in value to approximately fifty percent of base salary including a generous and immediately vested defined contribution plan and zero-premium health coverage.
The annual salary range for the Rural Health Reporter position is between $64,300 and $85,000. Our job titles and salary ranges may span more than one career level, and the salary offered to a candidate will be determined based on factors such as the scope and responsibilities of the position, job-related knowledge and skill set, depth of experience, certifications and/or degrees, and our practice of upholding salary equity within the organization. 
 
How to Apply
If this position is of interest to you, and you have the requisite experience and qualifications, please click the button to apply.
KFF has an efficient applicant review process and will contact candidates who have applied for this position and whose qualifications most closely fit the criteria for the job. No phone inquiries please.
Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.
 
Inclusion Statement
KFF is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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