Rural Health Reporter

Date Posted	July 21, 2026
Industry	Newspapers
Specialty	Not Specified
Job Status	Full-time
Salary	Not Specified

Description:

Rural health across America is in crisis, and few places face greater challenges than Arkansas, where 63 of 75 counties are considered fully rural. 

Fueled by deep poverty, health woes across rural Arkansas include high rates of infant mortality, chronic disease and obesity. The system is ill-equipped to help. People commonly travel 30 miles for care. Nearly 70% of the state’s 47 rural hospitals are considered vulnerable to closure and as many as 30 regularly lose money. 

Based in Little Rock, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the state’s newspaper, is seeking a rural health reporter to join a three-person health team to deliver data-driven journalism and people-centered storytelling through a public health, accountability and community-impact lens. This work will enhance understanding and increase accountability for those who make the critical decisions affecting the lives of families. 

If you know the topic or are ready to devote yourself to mastering it, if you are curious and compassionate, if you are equally adept at digging into data and talking to people in far-flung rural communities; if you are ready to deliver numbers-supported, people-centered storytelling, we want to hear from you. 

Send a cover letter, resume and three samples of your best work to Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Executive Editor Lee Wolverton at lwolverton@adgnewsroom.com. Include links and pdfs or Word documents with the full text from stories. The subject line to emailed applications should read: Rural Health Reporter.