University of Kentucky Health/GA Reporter
WE’RE SEEKING A FIRE-IN-THE-BELLY REPORTER WHO WANTS TO COVER THE LARGEST HEALTHCARE PROVIDER AND MEDICAL RESEARCH EXPERTS IN KENTUCKY.
The Herald-Leader, judged as Kentucky’s best large-market newsroom for two straight years, is seeking a sophisticated, insightful, intellectually curious and ambitious reporter to cover the University of Kentucky health care operation and the college’s medical program. You also will be asked to tackle some general assignment stories and pitch in when necessary on breaking news. This is a new beat that reflects our commitment to broaden our public service reporting, evocative storytelling and serving the needs of under-represented / vulnerable communities across our commonwealth (especially in Appalachia) with important and potentially life-saving news.
WHAT WE’RE ABOUT AT THE HERALD-LEADER AND LEXINGTON
Judges in the most recent Kentucky Press Association contest lauded the Herald-Leader’s commitment to investigative reporting, powerful storytelling and our diligence to better connect readers with the world around them – from their neighborhood, to our state capital in Frankfort, to the halls of power in Washington. We are committed to giving readers the most comprehensive, revelatory and essential daily local report. This beat – a new one in our Newsroom – speaks to our commitment to digging deep on important topics, asking tough questions about purpose and the spending of public dollars. We also have a keen eye to the importance of impact: We break stories, go beyond what public officials say and immediately talk about how readers will be affected. What are potential consequences for readers, voters, taxpayers and residents? Answering that, “What does it mean to readers?” question is essential to our efforts.
We also believe a cornerstone of our efforts is fair and fearless watchdog journalism, and this reporter will build on the Herald-Leader’s considerable reputation in this critical area. We’ll hold the powerful to account and offer hard-nosed, must-read accountability journalism that readers won’t find anywhere else. We also promise a hands-on, instructive coaching and editing environment. We won’t hold your hands, but we certainly will discuss the potential finer points before a story is launched and work collaboratively with you during the editing process.
Our journalism focuses on our local communities, and in that role we have the ability to spotlight problems, highlight solutions and truly make a difference -- all the reasons you got into journalism. And we are part of McClatchy, a digitally driven company focused on innovation, with newsrooms in 30 communities in the United States,
We are in Lexington, the second-largest city in Kentucky and the center of our commonwealth’s bourbon and horse industry. It’s a beautiful corner of the country, sitting in an affordable, accessible region that offers an outstanding quality of life outside the Newsroom. Lexington is enjoying a regional renaissance with an up-and-coming arts scene, a wide array of locally owned restaurants and many opportunities for outdoor recreation, including the nearby Red River Gorge. We’re also home to dozens of historic horse farms and idyllic Keeneland, which offers world-class horse racing several months of the year. And if you love the fun, educational and quality-of-life offered in a college town, we’ll introduce you to the University of Kentucky, with its plethora of sports, teams, culture, classes and an energetic campus.
WHAT YOU SHOULD BRING TO THE TABLE
The ideal candidate will be intellectually curious, hungry to learn new skills, and have a proven track record for breaking stories, digging into public documents and building a broad and informative network of sources. You will realize that conversations about “audience,” “engagement,” “analytics” and “creative ways to tell a story” are part of our daily vernacular, right after: “What’s the story and what does it mean to readers?”
We’re a digital news operation that still produces a daily print edition, but our entire focus is on two things: 1) Let’s find, break and distribute consequential stories. 2) How do we share those stories digitally and engage subscribers and new readers on every imaginable platform? Our focus is on the digital space and not ink-on-paper. But everything begins with great content.
You’ll need to bring a track record for multimedia reporting and a great comfort interacting with the public on social media channels – but doing so respectfully and thoughtfully and without healthy doses of snark that can impair our credibility. That’s happening far too often in this industry we all love.
In this role, you will need to:
Accept the challenge that the Herald-Leader never will be beat on substantive stories emanating from the University of Kentucky and it will own all notable public accountability stories related to its public health/medical school conglomerate.
Focus on stories that build readership, with a special focus on local subscribers and moving the needle in digital conversion.
Be a passionate learner, a team-first collaborator and a tremendous communicator with editors, peers, sources and even readers.
Work well in a group setting with other journalists in a fast-paced, hard-charging environment. You must thrive in a team environment, especially when working with our UK academics, students and campus life reporter.
Adopt the approach of breaking stories online, providing immediate analysis (and when appropriate, commentary) and instantly thinking of enterprise opportunities.
Focus on stories that build readership and digital conversions. That means you must think about audience first with an unflinching commitment to tactics that grow readership and conversions.
Excel at engaging multimedia storytelling
WHAT YOU’LL BRING
Proficiency in utilizing AI tools and technologies is highly desired.
Must have reliable transportation. Must have valid driver’s license and vehicle insurance required (at least minimum insurance required for the state in which the employee works).
Strong editing and writing skills, excellent news judgment and a demonstrated ability to “see the story” that is going to matter to readers.
Unwavering commitment to accurate, ethical journalism.
Help your reporters build source networks and generate a constant flow of story ideas.
Ability to work collaboratively with a wide range of editors and journalists on other Newsroom teams.
Comfort with a job that will be demanding, fast-paced and constantly evolving.
Facility with data, public records and business reports.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
The successful candidate should meet many, though not necessarily all, of the following requirements:
College degree or equivalent work experience
A minimum of 1-3 years of reporting experience with a hunger to excel at beat reporting, breaking stories, quick-turn enterprise and generating essential, can’t-be-ignored coverage.
WHAT WE’LL BRING: As a journalist at McClatchy, you will join a supportive, flexible, collaborative team. McClatchy strives to be an employer of choice, and our benefits package is made with this goal in mind. With a focus on health, well-being, wealth and daily life, our package options include healthcare coverage for employees and their families, financial protection from expected and unexpected expenses, multiple no-cost wellness resources and even coverage for four-legged friends.
Our overall benefits package also includes a 401(k) with employer match, competitive paid time off and corporate holidays, and a variety of mental health benefits. With an excellent support team and with focus on your well-being as a top corporate strategy, McClatchy provides benefits to support you and your family in achieving your health and wellness goals. For more information on McClatchy's benefit plan, please visit McClatchyLivewell.com. (Exclude this sentence for Miami Herald / el Nuevo Herald positions per Guild contract)
TO APPLY:
Please include a persuasive cover letter, your resume and four to six examples of your best work in the application link below.