Health Equity Reporter

KCUR 89.3 is seeking a health equity reporter to join the Kansas News Service, a reporting collaboration of public media stations throughout Kansas.

Consisting of KCUR in Kansas City, KMUW in Wichita, Kansas Public Radio in Lawrence and High Plains Public Radio in Garden City, the Kansas News Service is focused on health, the social determinants of health and their connection to public policy. We interpret that broadly to serve our audience as a general news organization, but one that covers the state through that lens.

We’re looking for a dogged reporter to approach health coverage from the angle of disparities and access in both rural and urban areas. This reporter should be looking for the people our health care system doesn’t reach and where populations lack access to necessities like healthy food and water. This includes paying particular attention to historically marginalized communities.

Reporting should also help people navigate a complicated health care system where many, especially those who are uninsured or underinsured, can be at a disadvantage that leads to financial hardship.

We also want to know where there are efforts to tackle the challenges in our health care system and solve systemic problems.

This reporter will research, write, report and produce daily spot news, digital stories and long-form audio features. They’ll collaborate with KNS reporters across Kansas. They will also participate in community engagement efforts, and appear on talk shows, podcasts and community panels, as needed.

We’re looking for someone whose reporting is driven by curiosity and public service. We’ll push for stories, both on air and online, worthy of a statewide and, not infrequently, a national audience. That calls for someone who can produce on deadline while juggling in-depth work.

Our new reporter doesn’t need radio or health reporting experience – we have experience teaching our journalists audio production – but they must have strong reporting and writing talent. They must share our commitment to serving all of our audiences, tracking the diversity of sources and continuing to make KNS a place where everyone feels welcome.

We know good candidates might not meet every single qualification. If you think you’re a good fit for the job, please apply.

We think you’ll find the Kansas News Service is a place where reporters are encouraged to focus on producing stories that emphasize the context rather than recounting daily developments. Your work will appear on public radio stations in every corner of the state. NPR also airs much of our work nationally. Newspapers and commercial radio stations across the state use a steady diet of KNS stories.