Mississippi Today is seeking a mental health reporter to join our award-winning health team.

The Mental Health Reporter will be a cornerstone member of the team, which serves Mississippians with access to data, fact-finding and dissemination of in-depth and explainer public health journalism. This team reports on how the health care system works, and in many cases does not, for Mississippians. We dig deep on how health care providers, hospitals, insurers, governments and consumers are interconnected and impacted, with an eye for equity and access. Our readership includes thought leaders and everyday Mississippians who need accurate and easy-to-understand information on public health matters.

The ideal journalist will be someone who understands mental health issues and trends and is able to identify and write stories that speak to bigger themes while lifting up individual Mississippians’ experiences. The state consistently ranks as one of the most underserved in the nation when it comes to mental health resources, and access is a major issue – making this role all the more critical.

Expectations:

  • Be familiar with private and public programs – such as government agencies, professional associations and nonprofits – that work in the mental health field
  • Be familiar with research and trends on mental health, as well as the challenges facing the mental health profession.
  • Have a deep desire to understand the history of mental health care in Mississippi and to thoroughly report each story with that context in mind.
  • Be able to write stories that examine systemic issues and their causes, as well as potential solutions.

Roles and responsibilities:

  • Follow on the groundbreaking stories Mississippi Today and ProPublica published detailing the state’s unique practice of jailing people waiting for treatment as they go through the civil commitment process. This reporting resulted in legislation aiming to decrease the practice, and this reporter will closely cover what kind of impact the new law – and any future legislation – is having.  
  • Cover the Department of Mental Health as an agency
  • Be a self-starting reporter who comes to the table with a vision of how he or she wants to make this beat his or her own.
  • Produce daily and longer investigative stories about mental health in Mississippi. 
  • Work with a small team of journalists focused solely on health in Mississippi.
  • Get people to talk, finding willing sources and protect them while telling sensitive and timely stories
  • Build trust: Many people who have been impacted by poor health services in Mississippi have been victims of predatory actions from other journalists or media outlets. Mental health is a particularly stigmatized issue, and a reporter on this beat must be sensitive to that.
  • Work with our Audience Team and data and visual journalists to create compelling story presentations.

Qualified candidates should have: 

  • At least two years of reporting experience
  • Experience writing a combination of both long form stories and investigations
  • A demonstrated ability to work quickly under tight deadlines
  • A knowledge and understanding of nonprofit journalism
  • Proficiency in public records requests

It’s a plus if you have:

  • Experience reporting in Mississippi and/or on mental health 

What you’ll get:

  • Salary starts at $60,000.
  • The opportunity to work alongside award-winning journalists and make significant contributions to Mississippi’s only fully staffed, nonprofit, nonpartisan digital news and information source.
  • Medical insurance, and options for vision and dental insurance.
  • 29 days paid time off.
  • Up to 12 weeks of parental family leave, with return-to-work flexibility.
  • Simple IRA with 3 percent company matching. Group-term life insurance provided to employees ($15,000 policy).
  • Support for professional training and attending industry conferences.

How to Apply: We’re committed to building an inclusive newsroom that represents the people and communities we serve. We especially encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply for this position, including women, people of color, LGBTQ people and people who are differently abled.

Apply Here