Opioids and Substance Abuse Reporter

The Washington Post is seeking a reporter to cover one of the most pressing health issues of our time: opioids and other aspects of America’s substance abuse crisis, which claims tens of thousands of lives each year. This reporter will chronicle the plight of people with substance abuse disorders and hold to account the forces that have fueled their addiction. A pivotal part of this beat will be identifying emergent trends in the abuse of opioids and other substances, including recognizing new, deadly drugs entering the marketplace and tracking how billions of dollars in legal settlement money is spent by governments. This reporter will collaborate with others on coverage of the Food and Drug Administration, including the agency’s continuing efforts to regulate tobacco and e-cigarettes. The ideal candidate for this position on The Post’s Health and Science team brings experience in medical and science reporting and a track record in seeing the hidden story and bringing it to light with precision, doggedness and authority. We seek a reporter with a passion for telling deeply human stories while unearthing the myriad of forces at play in the addiction crisis.