KHI News Service to reach out to editors

Posted March 18, 2013

TOPEKA – The KHI News Service has completed the first step in a process aimed at formalizing its editorial independence from the Kansas Health Institute and increasing use of its reporting by Kansas newspapers.
 
The non-profit news service has relocated to its own office across the street from the Statehouse in Topeka. It also has begun seeking underwriting to broaden its base of financial support.
 
“We want to be a reliable resource for editors interested in augmenting their coverage of important health and health policy issues,” said Jim McLean, executive editor of the KHI News Service.
 
McLean — who recently stepped down as KHI’s vice president for public affairs to focus full-time on the news service — said he plans to visit newsrooms across the state to talk with editors about how the KHI News Service could structure its coverage to best meet their needs.
 
“Specifically, I want to know what editors think of the content we’re producing and how we might tailor it to meet their needs,” McLean said. “We already know that we need to do a better job of reaching out and alerting folks about what we’re covering. But I’m sure there are other things we could be doing to make our content more user-friendly.”
 
The changes being made to the KHI News Service were referenced recently in a feature article in the Topeka Capital-Journal.
 
KHI launched the news service in 2007 to provide daily and in-depth coverage of health and health policy issues. In addition to McLean, its staff incudes veteran reporters Mike Shields, former city editor of the Lawrence Journal-World; Dave Ranney, who previously worked for the Journal-World and the Wichita Eagle; and Phil Cauthon, a former reporter and digital editor for the Journal-World.
 
KHI News Service stories, photography and other content are available for publication free of charge at khi.org/NewsService. The website also includes more information about the news service and its editorial independence from its primary funder, the Kansas Health Institute.