STAT - Reporter, Trust-in-Science

In November 2015, STAT was launched as a new national media brand focused on health, medicine, and life sciences. Since then, we have grown to be the authoritative and trustworthy news media source for tough-minded coverage of the business of making medicines, health tech, science, and public health. We produce daily news, investigative articles, and narrative projects in addition to multimedia features, podcasts, and opinion pieces. Our team of editors and reporters have won numerous journalism awards, including being named twice as a Pulitzer finalist. STAT is affiliated with Boston Globe Media Partners but is independent from The Boston Globe.

Job Description:

STAT is seeking an ambitious and intellectually curious reporter to cover one of the defining issues in medicine, science, and public health today: declining trust in science. This reporter will produce deeply reported explanatory and accountability journalism that helps readers understand where and why trust is breaking down, current manifestations, the consequences for public health, and how trust can be rebuilt. 

They will examine the forces eroding the authority of scientific institutions and mainstream medicine — from vaccine skepticism and misinformation to conflicts of interest, scientific misconduct, and the growing influence of social media influencers and political polarization. They will investigate individuals and businesses profiting from the loss of public confidence in science and expertise, and the ways academic, scientific, and health care institutions themselves undermine their integrity.

This is a new role at STAT. This person will collaborate closely with reporters and editors across the newsroom and will report to a senior editor.

Responsibilities:

• Create a trust-in-science beat at STAT, working with editors to define its scope and reporting targets.
• Report and write original and impactful enterprise and investigations.
• Break news and cover spot stories related to trust in science.
• Seek out a broad and diverse range of sources with varied perspectives, including scientists, clinicians, historians, and policymakers, but also parents who reject vaccines for their children and patients who embrace unproven therapies.
• Collaborate with other reporters, editors, visual and data journalists, and the podcast and events teams at STAT. 
• Translate complex scientific and policy topics into clear, accessible, and engaging stories for a sophisticated national audience.

Qualifications:

• 5 years of reporting experience, with some of that time spent covering science, medicine, public health, politics, or other beats relevant to trust in science.
• Demonstrated ability to produce ambitious and impactful enterprise or investigative journalism and to break news.
• Strong understanding of the scientific process, public health, research institutions, and the media ecosystem.
• Demonstrated ability to write accessibly and engagingly, and to explain nuanced or contested topics accurately, clearly, and impartially. 
• Exceptional interviewing, sourcing, and reporting skills, including the ability to build trust with a wide range of sources and communities.
• Commitment to fairness, rigor, accuracy, and ethical journalism.
• STAT prides itself on a collaborative spirit, flexibility, and a willingness to innovate, and we are looking for those skills in this reporter. Also essential: fidelity to bedrock journalistic values and a commitment to excellence.
• A willingness to adapt and be audience focused, with a curious mindset and a commitment to creating an inclusive work environment 

Bonus Points

• Experience covering misinformation, disinformation, and social media ecosystems.
• We know that there are strong candidates who may not fit precisely into what we’ve described above or who have important skills we haven’t thought of. If that’s you, don’t hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself.

The STAT office is located in downtown Boston, nearby Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market, and is easily accessible by MBTA and commuter rail lines. We have colleagues in the organization that come into the office on a regular basis. This position is based in Boston, and candidates should be based in the area or willing to move.

How to Apply

Interested in this job? If so, we’d love to hear from you. Please submit a cover letter, resume, and links to up to five clips that showcase your reporting (Links should be included at the end of your cover letter.)

In your resume and/or cover letter, please feel free to note which pronouns you use (For example - she/her/hers, he/him/his, they/them/theirs, etc.).

The hourly rate for this role is $38.41 - $61.53.

This position is a union position covered by a collective bargaining agreement with the Boston Newspaper Guild.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

EEO Statement: At Boston Globe Media, our mission is to empower, connect, and convene our communities with independent, trusted journalism and storytelling. We know a critical part of achieving this is by having a workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. Boston Globe Media is an equal opportunity employer that welcomes candidates and colleagues of all backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and skills.