15 Journalism Internships for Undergraduates
College internships provide you with the opportunity to explore career paths in fields that interest you. They help you build professional skills, learn how the industry works, and connect with professionals. They're also a strong addition to your resume because they show employers that you’ve taken the initiative to gain experience. If you’re interested in journalism, an internship is a great way to learn how reporting, editing, and publishing work. It will also allow you to practice researching, interviewing, fact-checking, and writing.
Why should you do a journalism internship in college?
A journalism internship will help you experience what working in media is like before you graduate. You’ll get to create writing samples to add to your portfolio, practice pitching story ideas, and get used to editorial feedback. It will also help you prepare for entry-level roles after college. This experience can boost your employment prospects after graduation since many employers prefer candidates who already know how a newsroom or media organization operates. Additionally, the relationships you build can lead to mentorship, strong references, and even future job opportunities.
To help you get started, we’ve narrowed down a list of the top 15 journalism internships for undergraduates!
1. Ladder University Internship Program
Location: Remote
Cost: Varies; Financial aid is available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: 10-25%; 70-100 students
Dates: Multiple cohorts run throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: Undergraduates and gap year students who can work for 10-20 hours/week for 8-12 weeks
The Ladder University Internship Program is a selective, fully virtual program that offers the opportunity to collaborate with startups and nonprofits globally across a variety of industries. You will complete smaller assignments, build a personal project tied to the organization’s goals, and present your final work at the end of the internship, including to the board. You’ll be guided by a startup manager, a Ladder Coach, and a company coach as you take on a real project that the organization genuinely needs. You can choose from fields like consulting, finance, media & journalism, software engineering, tech, mental health, nonprofit, environmental science, and more. The program will also help you gain real professional experience and develop both soft and technical skills. Apply now!
2. National Journalism Center Internship
Location: National Journalism Center, Washington, D.C.
Stipend: $1,500 tax-free monthly stipend; 20 fully funded housing scholarships are also available
Acceptance Rate: Competitive
Dates: January 12 – April 3 (Spring); May 26 – August 15 (Summer)
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: College students and recent graduates
The National Journalism Center offers a 12-week paid internship that teaches you the basics of accurate, fact-based reporting. As an intern, you’ll get to work full-time in a newsroom. Placements are based on your interests and skills and may include print, broadcast, or online outlets such as National Review, The Federalist, The Hill, The Washington Examiner, and The Daily Wire. On Fridays, you’ll meet at YAF (Young America’s Foundation) Headquarters for off-the-record briefings with policy experts, journalists, and editors. The program combines weekly seminars, newsroom work, and one-on-one mentorship for investigative projects.
3. Dow Jones News Fund (DJNF) Internship Program
Location: Various top media companies across the U.S.
Stipend: Weekly salaries start at $525
Cohort Size: Around 100 students
Dates: 10-12 weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: November 5
Eligibility: Full-time college sophomores, juniors, seniors, and graduate students, including students graduating in December; U.S. students studying abroad and international students in the U.S. with valid work visas
The Dow Jones News Fund provides you with a paid internship at a media outlet. Before you start, you’ll attend a one-week training program and connect with mentors, peers, and alumni. Then you’ll work for 10 to 12 weeks at a top news organization. On the application, you can choose one or more tracks, including Audience Engagement, Business Reporting, Data Journalism, Digital Media, and Multiplatform Editing. You might report on topics like the stock market, labor, real estate, small businesses, climate change, agriculture, or the auto industry. You may work across social, print, video, or audio, while editing for accuracy and style, writing SEO headlines, and designing pages on deadline. Placements include The New York Times, The Marshall Project, Insider, The Wall Street Journal, American City Business Journals, Barron’s, the San Francisco Chronicle, and more. Your work can also include filing records requests, using government data, analyzing data in spreadsheets, supporting investigative projects, and writing stories.
4. ESPN / AAJA Sports Task Force Internship
Location: ESPN, Bristol, CT
Stipend: Not specified
Acceptance Rate: Highly selective
Dates: June 8 – August 14
Application Deadline: February 4
Eligibility: College juniors, seniors, and graduate students (18+) enrolled at an accredited college or university and taking at least one class at the time of application, or participating in the Disney College Program or a Disney Internship
The ESPN and AAJA Sports Task Force Internship places you on a team that creates content for ESPN shows, live events, and social and digital platforms. You should know multiple sports, especially those ESPN covers often, understand trends across social, digital, and linear media, and be familiar with ESPN content. As a Production Intern, you’ll help produce video content for different ESPN properties and support social and digital projects. You’ll get experience with the Production Assistant role in ESPN NEXT. Work may include contributing to studio shows such as SportsCenter, First Take, Get Up, and NFL Live, both domestic and international. You’ll pitch ideas, support engagement efforts, edit videos, and observe different content teams to learn how production and storytelling work.
5. Boston Globe Media Co-op Program
Location: Boston Globe Media, Boston, MA
Stipend: $15 per hour
Acceptance Rate: Competitive
Dates: 12 weeks; January – June; July – December
Application Deadline: October 15 (January – June session); March 1 (July – December session)
Eligibility: Full-time undergraduate students with at least one semester left before graduation; Must be able to work 37.5 hours per week during the co-op and have a minimum 3.0 GPA
The Boston Globe Media Co-op Program gives you experience at a daily news organization, whether you are interested in editorial or business work. You’ll experience real roles with meaningful responsibilities and gain practical experience, professional skills, and a stronger network by the end of the program. You can apply for areas like Business, Copy Desk, Design, Express Desk, Homepage, Living and Arts, Local News, Magazine Travel Address, Opinion and Editorial, Photo, Sports, Video, and Visuals. Your work may include writing business and news stories, covering daily spot news, assisting reporters with research and interviews, confirming information, gathering data, editing stories for bostonglobe.com, monitoring social media for breaking news, pulling wire stories on major events, and writing features, profiles, and Q and As.
6. Intercollegiate Studies Institute’s Collegiate Network Journalism Internship
Location: Multiple host publications across the U.S.
Stipend: $6,000
Cohort Size: 10 students
Dates: 10 weeks during the summer
Application Deadline: February 1
Eligibility: Current undergraduate students
The Intercollegiate Studies Institute’s Collegiate Network Journalism Internship Program is for students who want to explore a career in media and develop real newsroom experience. Internship placements are matched to your skills, interests, and journalism career goals. You’ll get training in writing, editing, reporting, and multimedia storytelling through internships at media outlets. You’ll learn how to report with clarity, speed, accuracy, and confidence. You’ll work in active newsrooms with experienced journalists, learn to meet deadlines, and produce stories that highlight important issues. You will also develop technical skills, professional discipline, and sound editorial judgment to succeed in a competitive media environment.
7. AAAS Diverse Voices in Science Journalism Internship
Location: AAAS’s Science magazine headquarters, Washington, D.C.
Stipend: Paid
Acceptance Rate: Competitive
Dates: June 2 – August 19
Application Deadline: Applications open in November
Eligibility: Students currently enrolled in an undergraduate, community college, or graduate journalism program; Current students not enrolled in a formal journalism program but having some journalism experience, as well as those graduating in the spring
The American Association for the Advancement of Science runs a paid, 11-week summer internship for students who want to pursue journalism and learn science writing. Based at AAAS’s Science magazine headquarters, the program is led by award-winning reporters and editors. You’ll learn how journalists cover scientific and technological issues that affect communities around the world and contribute to the weekly news section, including writing bylined articles for print and digital platforms. The Diverse Voices in Science Journalism Internship is for students committed to expanding science journalism into communities that have had limited access to the field. It aims to prepare you to report clearly on scientific topics for a general audience and help broaden participation in the profession, including individuals from diverse backgrounds.
8. The Washington Post Newsroom Summer Internship Program
Location: The Washington Post Newsroom, Washington, D.C.
Stipend: $1,021.15 per week
Acceptance Rate: Highly competitive
Dates: June 8 – August 14
Application Deadline: October 3
Eligibility: College juniors, seniors, and graduate students enrolled in a degree program
The Washington Post Newsroom Summer Internship places you in the newsroom five days a week, where you’ll work alongside journalists and be treated like staff members. From the start, you’ll take on real responsibilities and contribute to daily coverage. You’ll report and write stories, edit copy, shoot and edit video, take photos, create graphics, produce audio, analyze data, design for different platforms, and help with audience strategy. You can share your interest in roles such as reporter, Futures Department, visual journalist, copy editor, news or digital designer, graphics reporter or developer, audio producer, data reporter, or audience strategy editor. Along with your day-to-day work, you’ll join group sessions with Post journalists and develop the practical skills needed to work in today’s media environment. You can find more information here.
9. NewsGuard Editorial Internship
Location: NewsGuard office, New York, NY (Remote options available)
Stipend: $16 per hour
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Fall, spring, and summer cohorts; Most last 12 weeks
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students, along with recent graduates who completed an associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degree within four months of the internship start date
NewsGuard’s Editorial Internship trains you in methods for rating news sources and debunking false claims. You’ll work with experienced reporters and editors, including former senior editors from Reuters, The Chicago Tribune, and The Associated Press, as well as learn professional journalism standards. You’ll research ownership and financing of online outlets, investigate misinformation, and write clear, detailed reports for a broad audience. You’ll also help update and maintain reporting on more than 10,000 news and information websites. You may lead projects that support NewsGuard’s work, such as creating systems to assess networks of related news sites, building databases of misinformation narratives, expanding a news literacy program for students and older adults, or contributing to a broadcast news rating service. By the end, you’ll have bylines and work samples that show your skills. Some interns are offered full-time roles after graduation or freelance contributor positions at the end of the program.
10. Scripps Howard Fund Journalism Internships
Location: 24 newsrooms across the U.S.
Stipend: At least $15 per hour
Cohort Size: 25 students
Dates: 10 or 20-week internships during the summer
Application Deadline: January 31
Eligibility: Current undergraduate and graduate students, as well as recent graduates
The Scripps Howard Fund Journalism Internships place you in a newsroom where you will take on responsibilities and receive training. Internships run for 10 or 20 weeks and include weekly training with interns from across the country, as well as one-on-one coaching from newsroom leaders. You’ll learn how newsrooms operate and work with professional journalists. You’ll also develop your reporting, multimedia, and investigative skills. The program partners with the Institute for Nonprofit News to offer paid internships to journalism students. Host newsrooms differ in size and focus, so you could work in digital, print, or audio, covering areas like investigative reporting, science, or nonprofit journalism. The program will help you prepare to step into journalism roles after graduation.
11. ABC News/AAJA Alexa Valiente Summer Internship
Location: ABC News headquarters, New York City, NY
Stipend: Paid (includes a housing stipend based on the intern’s location)
Acceptance Rate: Highly selective
Dates: 12 weeks from June through August
Application Deadline: January 21
Eligibility: Juniors or seniors at an accredited college or university who are enrolled in at least one class, as well as graduates from the past six months; Must be active AAJA members and have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher; Must have internship experience in print or broadcast journalism and some experience with social media
The ABC News/AAJA Alexa Valiente Summer Internship is for students who are passionate about journalism and strong storytelling. You’ll help with editorial and production tasks for shows and digital platforms like Good Morning America, 20/20, Nightline, ABC News Live, World News Tonight with David Muir, abcnews.com, and The View. You’ll work 40 hours per week, help manage the high volume of information that comes in each day, and play a key behind-the-scenes role. You’ll help prepare for shoots, support video editing, cover breaking news, and handle logging and transcription. You’ll also take care of office administrative tasks as well as assist with booking, researching stories, and developing content. The role requires strong communication skills, the ability to handle multiple projects at once, and comfort working in a fast-paced setting. The internship also includes speaker sessions with ABC News leaders and networking opportunities with recruiters for full-time roles.
12. Star Tribune Media Company Newsroom Summer Internship
Location: The Minnesota Star Tribune, Minneapolis, MN
Stipend: Paid
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: 10 weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: College juniors or seniors with experience in college news media; Must have completed at least one internship at a professional daily news organization
The Star Tribune offers 10-week summer internships for college and graduate students who want careers as reporters, multiplatform editors, designers, copy editors, photographers, or multimedia producers. You will spend the summer working in a major Minnesota daily newsroom, gaining journalism experience. Based on your interests, you may work in reporting, editing, multimedia, or digital production. The program will place you in a fast-paced environment where you can contribute and learn how a newsroom operates day-to-day. You will be paired with both a mentor and a supervisor, and senior writers and editors will lead skill-building sessions to help you strengthen your craft. The experience will provide practical newsroom training that supports future career opportunities in journalism.
13. Pew Research Center Summer Internship Program
Location: Pew Research Center, Washington, D.C. (hybrid options available)
Stipend: $18.50 per hour
Acceptance Rate: Highly competitive
Dates: 12 weeks from June through August
Application Deadline: January 16 – February 11
Eligibility: Undergraduate students
Pew Research Center’s Summer Internship Program is a paid opportunity for undergraduate students to gain professional experience and build workplace skills. You’ll work closely with staff on real projects and be part of a cohort that attends programs and networking sessions with people across the Center. These sessions will introduce you to fields like public opinion research, data journalism, polling, methodology, economics, sociology, communications, computational social science and data science, political science, and nonprofit management. In the data journalism track, you’ll join the Short Reads team, Pew’s data journalism blog. Tasks include copyediting, fact-checking, producing newsletters, and, at times, conducting original research and writing. You can explore current opportunities here.
14. The San Francisco Chronicle Summer Newsroom Internship Program
Location: The San Francisco Chronicle headquarters, San Francisco, CA
Stipend: Paid
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: 12 weeks between June and August
Application Deadline: Varies; Applications typically close in November
Eligibility: Community college, undergraduate, and graduate students who are currently enrolled in a degree program or have recently graduated
The San Francisco Chronicle offers a 12-week paid internship for college and graduate students in a fast-paced digital newsroom. You’ll gain hands-on experience, mentorship, and structured training while working full-time in the downtown San Francisco office. You’ll join newsroom teams to report for sfchronicle.com and the print edition, design projects, support audience engagement, take photos in the field, and handle other newsroom tasks. Along with your daily responsibilities, you’ll attend training sessions, connect with experienced journalists, and learn how a digital news operation runs. Internship roles include Audience, Breaking News Reporting, Datebook, Data Reporting, Digital Design and Development, Food and Wine Reporting, Metro Reporting, Sports Reporting, and Visuals.
15. The Wall Street Journal Summer Internship
Location: Wall Street Journal newsrooms in New York, Detroit, San Francisco, and Los Angeles
Stipend: Paid
Cohort Size: Maximum 17 interns
Dates: 10 weeks between June and August
Application Deadline: October 31
Eligibility: College sophomores and juniors (18+) with at least one prior professional news media job or internship, or strong published work from a campus outlet or freelance experience
The Wall Street Journal internship gives you hands-on experience in its newsrooms in New York, San Francisco, Detroit, and Los Angeles. You’ll work 35 hours a week with experienced reporters and editors, receive mentorship, and take part in focused training. Internships are offered in areas such as business and finance news, graphics, media, personal finance, photography, platform and publishing editing, real estate, sports, technology, video, and WSJ Magazine. You’ll learn to be audience-focused, work independently under deadlines, and be committed to strong journalistic standards. Previous interns have covered front-page stories, curated content across platforms, produced videos and podcasts, built interactive graphics, produced long-form narrative episodes, and collaborated with audience strategists to increase subscriber engagement.
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