Reporting on public health in the current political environment

As public health becomes increasingly politicized, journalists continue to face challenges in reporting clearly and accurately on issues that impact their communities and the broader public.

Join the National Press Club Journalism Institute at 11 a.m. ET on June 16 for a timely conversation with KFF Health News journalists Julie Rovner and Amanda Seitz. They will explore how journalists can gain audience trust and navigate misinformation and controversial statements from officials while producing accessible, fact-based journalism.

Drawing collectively on decades of experience covering health policy at the national and local levels, Rovner and Seitz will share practical insights on:

• translating data and industry jargon for broad audiences
• making tough editorial judgements when covering major public health issues
• building trust in a fractured media environment

Registration is free and open here.

This program kicks off the NPCJI’s monthly webinar series produced as part of the Public Health Reporting Fellowship. In partnership with the Common Health Coalition, the fellowship offers training and financial support for mid-career journalists to complete reporting projects focused on the intersection of public health policy and health care delivery.

About the speakers

Julie Rovner is KFF Health News’ chief Washington correspondent. She hosts the weekly health policy news podcast, “What the Health?” Previously, she spent 16 years as a health policy correspondent for NPR, where she helped lead the network’s coverage of the passage and implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Julie is the author of the critically praised reference book “Health Care Politics and Policy A to Z,” now in its third edition.

Amanda Seitz is a health policy reporter for KFF Health News. From her perch in Washington, she covers how federal regulations, laws, and policies impact the health of Americans around the country. Seitz previously worked as the health care policy reporter for the Associated Press. She also reported from local television and newspaper newsrooms in Ohio and Wisconsin in the early years of her career.