We’re looking for a writer to cover the North Carolina legislature for NC Health News www.northcarolinahealthnews.org
This person will also be tasked to cover the community of older North Carolinians.
NC Health News is in the vanguard of North Carolina’s growing group of non-profit, online-only publications, we are a member of the NC Press Association, LION Publishers and INN. We’re recognized for our high-quality reporting, including winning state and national prizes, and have a solid national reputation. We’ve had steady growth in readership and influence since our founding in 2012.
This job is an opportunity to dig into health policy in a rapidly growing and evolving swing state, to delve into the issues affecting patients and their access to care, and to report and write state legislature stories that few others in the country are doing.
This is not a health reporting job where you write about “10 ways to control your heart disease,” rather one where you might write about how big changes in national health care policy impact small county Medicaid offices, or visit a new clinic to report on a program that plans to expand health care services to migrant farmworker families. Sometimes your stories are a quick turnaround on a piece of legislation that was introduced this week, other times it’s a deep data dive that you thought was going to be a quick research story.
We’ll help you find those first stories, and our editor Rose Hoban, who’s been covering the legislature for a decade, will work closely with you as you get up and running. Our former aging reporter, Tommy Goldsmith, will also mentor you on that topic. As time goes on, you’ll be expected to develop sources and story ideas of your own.
A license and a car are required. We’re looking for someone who’s willing to spend significant time (2-3 days/ week) at the North Carolina legislature in Raleigh during the lawmaking sessions. During the legislative session, you’ll concentrate largely on stories coming out of the General Assembly. Once lawmakers wrap up their work, your focus will shift to covering aging issues. And you’ll need that car to get out of town and around the state meeting people and bringing back stories full of color and detail.
A good candidate is someone who’s really interested in policy, how policies affect people on the ground and have the ability to explain that in understandable terms. This reporter should have at least some experience (if you’re a graduate of a journalism program, that’s helpful), because you’ll need to hit the ground running. It’s also helpful to be able to talk to anyone, from lawmakers to folks in senior centers.
Knowledge of North Carolina is a plus, but not absolutely necessary. We really, really would like someone with health knowledge (either a degree, experience in the field or reporting on public health for some time) and someone with this knowledge or experience will rise to the top of our list, but we know that’s a big ask.
While you can learn the political system in North Carolina, a public health mindset is what we’re seeking. One of our calling cards is that we look at systems-level issues, public policy and how it intersects with public health, so that takes some experience thinking bigger than the daily turnaround. If that’s not you, we’ll train you.
Knowledge of/ experience with multimedia or social media are also a double big-plus (send examples). Spanish language skills would make us swoon with joy.
We expect this reporter to publish 1-2 stories per week, 4-6 stories per month, with a range of quick hits and long pieces.
We’d be looking to employ you at a salary that’s competitive in North Carolina, the final number will depend on your experience and clips. This position includes health, dental and vision insurance and a modest retirement benefit.
You’ll really need to be based in the Triangle area, so that you can get to Raleigh in a reasonable amount of time.
You’ll be part of a small but energized team of reporters and editors and you’ll get intensive mentoring/ editing of your work. Your work will be published in North Carolina Health News, an outlet with a national reputation for excellence. Your stories will be carried by our North Carolina partner organizations: in 2024, more than 150 publications republished, digested or referenced our work (e.g. they wrote editorials based on our reporting). You’ll be frequently digested in outlets like Kaiser Health News and legislative newsletters.
WE WILL ONLY CONSIDER YOUR APPLICATION IF YOU INCLUDE A RESUME AND FIVE WRITING SAMPLES. Academic writing samples (e.g. studies or papers you wrote for class) are not acceptable, we need journalistic stories. Samples need to have a lede, an arc and show an understanding of journalistic technique.
Send a cover email of interest, along with a resume and links to 5 published stories to editor at northcarolinahealthnews dot org
We are looking to hire someone to start this summer as our current reporter will be leaving on June 30. This is a full-time, exempt position. Occasional nights or weekend days may be required, but we work to keep these occasions within reason. Salary range is mid-to-high 50s, depending on experience. Application deadline is June 20.
North Carolina Health News is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, parental status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply.