In an encouraging move, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch will be placing greater emphasis on health coverage with the planned launch on March 25 of a new comprehensive health section. Called StL Health, the section will combine stories that, in the past, would have been scattered about the features, news and business sections.
The new, stand-alone section, which will appear every Thursday, will offer business health, consumer news, trends and features, and will have a staff of four full-time writers – a medical reporter, a business reporter and two feature writers – and one part-time writer. AHCJ members Blythe Bernhard and Harry Jackson Jr. will be among the staff.
“The idea is to provide news that matters to our readers,” says Jackie Hutcherson, who will edit the section.
“It made sense to do this, because it’s shifting pieces into one spot where we can make the most out of our health coverage and have it all in one place. It’s certainly a subject that affects everyone in one form or another – people with children, seniors, anyone who goes online for health info. It crosses a wide swath of readership.”
Another key focus of the coverage will be local hospitals, which Hutcherson points out are not only vital healthcare facilities, but also large employers in the greater St. Louis area. “They’re such a vital part of the economy, and they’re in our backyard, which affects our readership.”
