Not for Sale: Rick Berke, Executive Editor and Co-founder of STAT

Episode Summary Rick Berke is no stranger to threats. Investigations from the healthcare and life sciences publication he co-founded, STAT, have elicited ire and intimidation from some of the industry’s biggest organizations. But the veteran editor who broke global news in his high school newspaper doesn’t back down. In this episode of Commons Healthcare, reporter Danny Funt (The New Yorker, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal) brings us the story of how a healthcare outsider built the publication the industry needed. From exposing an insurance behemoth to leading Covid-19 coverage, STAT has shaped our understanding of healthcare—warts and all. Find out what that cost in lost advertising revenue and shoe-leather reporting. Chapter Markers 0:00 - The Watchdog: As organizations try to buy positive coverage, Rick Berke’s healthcare publication won’t take the money. 03:58 - Taking on a Colossus: Pulling back the curtain on STAT’s landmark investigation into UnitedHealth Group. 16:05 - A Newsman for Life: Rick’s journey from early scoops to the top of storied news organizations. 23:02 - A Billionaire’s Gamble: The owner of the Red Sox backs a team of healthcare reporters. 30:01 - STAT Makes Its Mark: STAT reporters track down and unseal documents from a company linked to the opioid epidemic. 36:43 - Never Backing Down: Sticking to your principles proves to be a winning formula. Key quotes: “We have lost millions of dollars in advertising because of stories and investigations we’ve done on companies that don’t like what we do.” —Rick Berke, Executive Editor and Co-Founder | STAT “We get intimidated. There’s hectoring going on. You get such threats and intimidation that I just roll my eyes.” —Rick Berke, Executive Editor and Co-Founder | STAT “I ran into one of my old Globe colleagues, and he sort of took me aside and was like, ‘This isn’t gonna work out. I mean, you guys are burning money.’ I just used it as motivation and kind of put it in the back corner of my mind and said, ‘All right, well, let's see.’” —Casey Ross, Chief Investigative Reporter for Data and Technology | STAT Episode credits: Reporter: Danny Funt Audio production: Joe Steptoe and Anthony Dionne Hosts: Tom Castles and Jack Murtha Executive producer: Christie Chisholm Sound engineer: George Steptoe Editor: Mark R. Head of growth: Wynn Hansen Resources & Links Subscribe to Commons Healthcare Get our newsletter, Healthcare People Connect with Tom on LinkedIn Connect with Jack on LinkedIn Connect with our head of growth, Wynn, on LinkedIn Follow Commons Healthcare on socials LinkedIn Instagram Threads Facebook