Veterinary Medical News Reporter
About The Position
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is seeking an enterprising, detail-oriented Veterinary Medical News Reporter to join its Marketing & Communications team. This role involves covering a diverse beat including animal health & welfare, public health, legislative updates, and practice management for the premier news source in the veterinary profession. The ideal candidate is a seasoned journalist experienced in translating complex scientific research, regulatory policy, and clinical data into compelling and accurate stories for a diverse audience. This is a hybrid position based at the AVMA Headquarters office in Schaumburg, Illinois.
Requirements
- BS/BA degree in Journalism, Communications, English, or a related field (or equivalent professional experience).
- At least three to five years of professional reporting & writing experience, preferably in daily news, trade journalism, B2B publishing, or digital newsrooms.
- Proven track record of covering science, medicine, healthcare, public health, or agriculture.
- Exceptional interviewing skills.
- Strong analytical ability to parse dense data & research.
- Proficiency with digital content management systems.
Nice To Haves
- Direct experience reporting on veterinary medicine, animal welfare, or animal health industries.
- Skills in digital photography, basic audio/video editing, or data journalism.
Responsibilities
- Working with the AVMA News senior editor on story identification & development.
- Pitching, reporting, & writing high-quality news stories, features, & profiles for digital publications.
- Staying ahead of trends, research breakthroughs, & public health issues affecting the veterinary community.
- Interviewing sources & subject matter experts.
- Building & maintaining a strong network of sources, including veterinary medical professionals, scientists, researchers, policymakers, & industry leaders.
- Generating story ideas through networking & monitoring the news media, online news sources, veterinary publications, medical & scientific journals, & leads from AVMA members & staff.
- Reading & synthesizing technical scientific literature, research papers, & legislative documents, translating complex jargon into clear, accessible prose without sacrificing accuracy.
- Attending & reporting on major industry events, scientific symposia, & annual conferences (such as the AVMA Convention) to provide timely, relevant on-site coverage.
- Collaborating with editors, creative services, & digital staff to integrate visual & multimedia elements—such as photos, data charts, infographics, & video snippets—to enhance digital storytelling.
- Working with the public relations, marketing, & social media teams to coordinate consistent communications to AVMA members, as well as teams across the AVMA to ensure effective communication of AVMA priorities.
- Fact-checking all copy rigorously, adhering to ethical journalism standards, & consistently meeting fast-paced digital publishing deadlines while maintaining standard house style (e.g., AP style).
Benefits
- Heath, dental, vision, life, AD&D, short-term disability, & long-term disability insurance
- FSA & HSA plans
- 401(k) Plan
- Generous vacation & sick time
- 11 Paid Holidays
- Floating Holiday
- Paid Parental Leave
- Employee Assistance Program
- Tuition & professional certification reimbursement
- Compensatory Time Off
- Casual dress
- 37.5 hour workweek
- Association Forum/ASAE membership
- Veterinary pet insurance
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
Associate degree
