Civic News Company, parent company of the nonprofit newsrooms Healthbeat, covering public health and health policy both nationally and locally; Chalkbeat, focused on telling the story of education in America; and Votebeat, dedicated to in-depth reporting on elections and voting, is seeking an experienced Atlanta Reporter, Healthbeat, to dive deep into the community’s public health needs to produce clear, evidence-based reports that center on trusted local experts.
You will help audiences better understand how public health systems function and how they are connected globally while holding officials and institutions accountable for improving those systems. Healthbeat seeks to fill the growing gap left by shrinking mainstream media coverage and to amplify the perspectives of underserved communities. Your reporting will play a vital role in shaping public dialogue around health.
This position reports to the Editor in Chief, Healthbeat and will collaborate closely with another Atlanta-based reporter, as well as with our New York City bureau and various content partners.
The key responsibilities for this role include:
Pitch and develop compelling story ideas in collaboration with editors.
Report and write across a variety of formats, including breaking news, in-depth enterprise stories, Q&A interviews, explainers, and more.
Produce a minimum of two stories per week aimed at building an engaged audience among public health professionals and curious community members.
Represent Healthbeat at community events and in media appearances.
Contribute to the creation of social media content, including vertical videos, to accompany reporting.
Ensure all reporting meets the highest standards of accuracy, fairness, and clarity.
Work closely with editors to revise and refine stories based on feedback.
Collaborate with team members on key publishing tasks such as photo coordination, data visualization, article production, social media promotion, and newsletter development.
Build and maintain strong relationships with readers and stakeholders in the public health community.
Support audience engagement by participating in events and outreach initiatives led by the audience team.
What background and skills do you have? (We know not all strong candidates will have all the skills we list. That’s OK. What else do you bring to the table? Please tell us!)
5 or more years of journalism experience, ideally covering health, science, or government, or in a public health or science communications role.
Familiarity with Georgia’s public health infrastructure and political landscape, and ideally experience reporting on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the epidemiology community.
Knowledge of Georgia’s nonprofit sector, particularly organizations working on public health issues.
Understanding of both national and global public health topics and networks.
Proven ability to cultivate trusted sources and generate compelling story ideas.
A strong track record of producing journalism or communications that make an impact.
Comfort working with data, research, and complex reports.
Experience telling stories through a variety of formats beyond traditional narrative journalism.
Familiarity with public records reporting and Georgia’s open records laws.
Ability to clearly and authoritatively explain complex scientific and health-related topics.
Proven capacity to write compelling, well-structured stories on both tight deadlines and longer timelines.
Proficiency with digital newsroom tools such as Slack, Google Docs, Google Drive, and online publishing platforms.
A collaborative, team-first attitude with a generous and supportive approach to working with colleagues.
Interest in audience engagement and a desire to connect creatively with a diverse range of readers
Bonus points if you’ve got:
In-depth knowledge of Georgia public health, with experience reporting on topics such as epidemiology, emergency preparedness, and public policy impacts on frontline workers.
Experience covering food, water, and air safety, climate change, and other issues linked to global public health.
Background in science journalism.
Experience reporting on research, development, and technological advances in health and science.
Fluency in Spanish for reporting.
Video and audio production skills.
This full-time, remote-eligible position will be based in the metro Atlanta area where in-person reporting is mandatory. Civic News Company has a presence: Chicago, Colorado, Indianapolis, Newark, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Texas, Michigan, Tennessee, New York City, and Washington, D.C.
The salary range is $75,000 to $80,000; final salary will be determined based on level of experience and geographic location, with a generous benefits package, including:
Medical, vision, and dental insurance
20 days of PTO and a paid one-week recess
401(k) matching program
Paid parental leave
Civic News Company recognizes a staff bargaining unit, Civic News Company, affiliated with the Writers Guild of America, East, a labor union representing thousands of members who write content for news and online media, motion pictures, and television. This position is included in the Civic News Company bargaining unit.
About Civic News Company
At Civic News Company, our mission is helping people understand how America works so they can make it work better. Committed to equal employment opportunities, Civic News Company welcomes applicants and employees from diverse backgrounds, including but not limited to races, colors, national origins, ancestries, creeds, religions, genders, ages, disabilities, veteran status, sexual orientations, and marital statuses. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply and contribute to our shared vision.
Civic News Company participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. If E-Verify cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, Civic News Company is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so you can begin to resolve the issue before Civic News Company can take any action against you, including terminating your employment. Civic News Company can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-9.