September 13, 2023

When it comes to politics, how old is too old?

Ongoing coverage of President Biden's age, along with nearly non-stop chatter about Sen. Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) and Sen. Dianne Feinstein's (D-Calif.) recent health incidents, have highlighted the ageism that often accompanies reporting on age and leadership.

Join AHCJ Aging Health Beat Leader Liz Seegert for a webinar tomorrow at 2 p.m. ET for a discussion on age bias in reporting and how to offer more balanced coverage. Guests include veteran D.C.-based health reporter Joanne Kenen and top aging and longevity researcher S. Jay Olshansky, Ph.D.

Register for the webinar

What We're Reading

How Advance Care Planning Neglects Black Americans (Carina Storrs for Undark)

Mexico’s Supreme Court Decriminalizes Abortion Nationwide (Simon Romero and Emiliano Rodríguez Mega for The New York Times)

Covid Vaccines May Roll Out Within Days (Christina Jewett and Noah Weiland for The New York Times)

Amid another rise in cases, Covid’s new normal has set in (Helen Branswell for STAT)

Parts of the world have already grown too hot for human survival (Zoya Teirstein for Grist)

Upcoming Events

Sept. 14, 2 p.m. ET: AHCJ Webinar: How old is too old? It depends on whom you ask, How should we frame "the age issue" in light of already-divisive politics, and how can we offer more balanced and fair reporting about officeholders, candidates, and others when critics argue they're too old to serve? A top aging and longevity researcher and a veteran D.C.-based health reporter will discuss age bias in reporting and how to offer more balanced coverage. Register here »

Sept. 21, 1 p.m. ET: Lunch and Learn — Using social media to track pitch calls and freelance discussions, In AHCJ’s Lunch and Learn, freelance members chat about a designated topic every third Thursday of the month at 1 p.m. ET. The Zoom link is always the same.

Oct. 13, 5 p.m. ET: Application deadline — AHCJ Reporting Fellowships on Health Care Performance, This fellowship allows mid-career journalists to maintain their regular employment while working on a major project over a 12-month calendar year. You’ll pursue the projects with the support of your newsrooms or arranged outlets, which commit to publish or air the work. Read more »

Oct. 19, 1 p.m. ET: Lunch and Learn — Using AI for reporting, In AHCJ’s Lunch and Learn, freelance members chat about a designated topic every third Thursday of the month at 1 p.m. ET. The Zoom link is always the same.

Oct. 20, 5 p.m. ET: Application deadline — AHCJ International Health Study Fellowships, This fellowship is a six-month program supporting veteran U.S.-based health care journalists who want to pursue a story or project comparing a facet of the U.S. health care system to that of another country. Read more »

Nov. 2–3: AHCJ Fall Summit — Homelessness and Health Care, Housing is a health care issue. Research leaves little doubt about the negative impact a lack of a place to call home has on people’s health. We’re going to dig into this complicated issue at our Fall Summit from Nov. 2–3 in Oakland, Calif. Read more »

Career Development / Sponsored Content

NIHCM Foundation Health Care Journalism Grant Program

The National Institute for Health Care Management is now accepting applications for the 2023–2024 cycle of the NIHCM Foundation Health Care Journalism Grant program. National and local news outlets, freelance reporters, non-profit media outlets and organizations that educate journalists are invited to apply now. Continue reading →

Senior Writer, American College of Physicians

The publishing division of the American College of Physicians is looking to hire a senior writer for the Internist/Hospitalist department. The national organization of internal medicine physicians and related sub-specialists is the largest medical specialty organization and the second-largest physician group in the United States with 161,000 members worldwide. Continue reading →

Click here to view the AHCJ Job Board

*|IF:MEMBER = Yes|*