Center for Excellence in Health Care Journalism

In today’s age of information overload and hyperpolarization, it can be challenging for people to discern what is credible and what is not.

Health misinformation and disinformation are flourishing, particularly on social media, as has been evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health journalists are tasked with providing accurate and reliable health information to the public. However, media outlets have faced downsizings, consolidations, and a lack of resources for journalists’ continuing education and professional development. Without specialized training, reporters, editors, and producers are left on their own to develop literacy and understanding of health issues. The Center for Excellence in Health Care Journalism, the supporting nonprofit organization for the Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ), aims to fill that knowledge gap through an annual national conference that attracts approximately 700–800 reporters, editors, and producers, as well as health care luminaries. In 2023, NYHealth awarded the Center for Excellence in Health Care Journalism a grant to support the 2024 national Health Journalism conference in New York City.  

Under this grant, AHCJ will create a new conference track focused on food systems and nutrition. The grant also provides partial support for the four-day conference, which will include field trips to see firsthand the innovative work being done to improve health in New York; panel discussions and keynote addresses from leading experts; and skills-building workshops.