The workshop is the first in a series of six 2014 Specialized Reporting Institutes funded by the Robert R. McCormick Foundation to give reporters the knowledge, context, contacts and story ideas they need to cover critical topics in the news. AHCJ is partnering with the Poynter Institute to host this workshop at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland, College Park. Sessions will be held in The Eaton Theater and the Herb Block Room.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• How insurance works and how journalists can measure the ACA’s performance
• How to put a face on the story
• What’s next: Will the Young Invincibles sign up? Can providers handle the new load of patients?
• How to find stories hidden in data
• What’s in the next wave of health care reform, and the ethical questions you need to ask
• At least 30 story ideas to take home

Click HERE for a draft workshop agenda.

Participants receive a one-year paid membership to AHCJ.

Our goals for this intensive workshop are straightforward. We will not focus on political fights and computer glitches, which get a lot of coverage already. Instead we will help journalists understand health care insurance and health policy. You will hear from top-notch journalists who have covered the Affordable Care Act since it was being drafted in Congress.

This workshop is open to working journalists from any media, including network and cable television, radio, newspaper, magazine and online journalists. We welcome applications from reporters, producers, photojournalists, graphic designers, full-time freelancers, news managers and editors. From our application pool, we will select a class of 25 participants who represent a wide range of market sizes, media, geography and media ownership, including minority media. We will give priority to full-time U.S. based journalists.

Applications are no longer being accepted for this training.