Senior Health Reporter at Media24 (Pty) Ltd

Job Description

• Media24 has a vacancy for a SENIOR HEALTH REPORTER at City Press. The reporter must initiate health stories and features on his/her own and in conjunction with other reporters in the newsroom. The successful candidate must be a strong health reporter but would be able to work across a variety of subjects, including governance, education, business and politics. He/she would also have a wide array of contacts across these key areas and a drive to consistently produce hard-hitting exposes and features, which dominate the national conversation.
• City Press is a respected news brand that publishes across platforms. Its flagship print edition is distributed nationally on a Sunday, but it also has a popular online platform, newsletters, and social media platforms that are growing quickly and are followed closely by influencers and readers.

Key performance areas

• Gather, write and present news reports.
• Write well researched and investigative health stories that can lead the paper.
• Set the national agenda by identifying, reangling and breaking health stories that get South Africans talking and offer City Press readers insight into health issues that matter.
• Conduct ongoing research on news events and current affairs.
• Build up a network of contacts at local and national level to facilitate the production of a brilliant and agenda-setting health diary.
• Liaise with colleagues, news editor and digital editor about news features and the best use of information.
   

Qualifications and experience

• Degree or diploma, preferably in journalism, is a strong recommendation.
• At least 5 years' experience in a newsroom.
• Proven experience and ability to write features, hard news, analytical journalism and revelatory reports
• Computer skills
• Valid driver's licence
   

Skills

• The ability to withstand pressure from officials, politicians and large private companies.
• Good grasp of the health system, SA politics, the private sector and the functioning of civil society.
• Good grasp of journalism and the news business.
• The ability to focus, prioritise and think strategically.
• Above-average ability to obtain and analyse information, to have insight into its core and to present it as a stimulating, cohesive report.
• The ability to co-operate with graphic artists and page layout staff to present reports in a visually attractive and understandable way.
• A good instinct for news, for law and justice, for ethical conduct and good judgement.