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Come help NPR cultivate top-notch local and regional health journalism! The Senior Editor, Science Desk will lead NPR’s health policy reporting partnership with Kaiser Health News and NPR member stations. The editor will work closely with an editorial lead at KHN to guide member station reporters. She or he will also serve as a resource to reporters to help to interpret current events and issues in health care policy. This includes helping find sources, identifying stories and assisting with audio and digital production, story structure and editing for national and local versions of stories. NPR and KHN editors will host editorial and production discussions with the reporters as a group, and one-on-one to help make policy stories compelling to the listener and web audience. The Sr. Editor will report to a Deputy Sr. Supervising Editor on the Science desk. This position is based in Washington DC.
- Oversee the partnership with member stations and Kaiser Health News.
- Coordinate selected member station health journalists to help create excellent local and national journalism.
- Guide and help craft both short and more in-depth stories for air, on-demand audio and online
- Edit stories for air, on-demand audio and online, produced by station reporters.
- Work closely with NPR shows, Newscast and digital editors to coordinate health policy coverage on multiple platforms.
- Work with KHN counterpart to edit member station stories, as well as help local reporters as needed, for example, help with voicing or thinking through what makes a great audio or web story.
- Keep current with topics around health policy for current and future stories
- Make sure the work is consistently accurate and fair, objective and of high quality
- Participate in newsroom planning meetings. Advocate on behalf of the Science Desk
- Plan and execute training sessions for member-station reporters in collaboration with KHN.
- Track record as a creative storyteller and editor across journalistic forms, and across a variety of media.
- 8-10 years’ experience as a news reporter or editor, including demonstrated experience covering local and national news.
- Knowledge of the U.S. health care system.
- An engaged journalist with solid news judgment and driven by the 24-hour news cycle.
- Considerable skill in both news and feature editing.
- Familiarity with a variety of computer systems and software applications, including web content management systems. Ability to adapt to changes in equipment, software and workflow.
- Excellence in written and oral communication skills.
- A teamwork mentality, flexibility and a sense of humor.
- Proven ability to consistently work well with others, demonstrating at all times respect for the diverse constituencies at NPR and within the public media system.
- Strong grasp of journalistic ethics. Experience maintaining high journalistic standards including standards of objectivity, balance and fairness.
- Ability to handle multiple and complex projects simultaneously under stringent timeframes and changing priorities/conditions.
- Ability to work quickly and efficiently under deadline pressure.
- Ability and willingness to work varied shifts, when necessary.
- Working in and/or knowledge of the public media system is a plus.
- Ability and willingness to relocate. In the future, NPR may choose to transfer employees to other geographic locations. Severance provisions of the AFTRA collective bargaining agreement will apply should you choose not to accept a transfer.
NPR offers a competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits package including health and wellness benefits, retirement, and work/life balance programs, as well as opportunities for career growth and development.