13 Prestigious Journalism Internships for High School Students
Getting professional experience early can change how you think about your future, and internships are one of the best ways to explore your career interests. They not only add to your résumé but also teach you how to collaborate and communicate in professional settings. For students who are interested in politics or current affairs, love storytelling, or want to see how news is shaped and disseminated, journalism internships are a solid start. You might find yourself chasing a story, sitting in on editorial meetings, or learning how headlines are crafted under pressure.
To make your search easier, we’ve rounded up 13 of the most prestigious journalism internships for high school students that blend creativity with newsroom experience. These programs are hosted by respected universities, major news organizations, and nonprofit media outlets known for their selectivity and impact.
1. Princeton Summer Journalism Program (PSJP)
Location: Hybrid - online & Princeton University campus, Princeton, NJ
Cost/Stipend: No cost | Unpaid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~40 students
Dates: Online workshops throughout July + a 10‑day residential session in early August
Application deadline: February 24
Eligibility: High school juniors with a minimum unweighted grade point average of 3.5 out of 4.0; applicants must meet at least one of the socioeconomic conditions listed here
The Princeton Summer Journalism Program is a tuition-free initiative designed for high-achieving high school juniors from limited-income backgrounds who want to explore journalism and prepare for college. Over several weeks, you will participate in virtual workshops led by journalists, professors, and alumni before heading to Princeton for a ten-day residential experience. During your time on campus, you’ll attend lectures, visit professional newsrooms, and cover real stories that are later published in The Princeton Summer Journal. The curriculum covers investigative reporting, ethics, and multimedia storytelling. After the summer session, the program continues with one-on-one mentorship throughout your senior year, helping you refine essays, build applications, and compare financial aid options.
2. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Remote
Cost/Stipend: Varies by program (100% financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort
Eligibility: High school students who can work for 10-20 hours/week
Ladder Internships connects you with fast-growing startups across industries, including journalism, where you contribute to real projects and gain practical workplace experience. For eight weeks, you will collaborate with a startup team while receiving guidance from both a Startup Manager and a dedicated Ladder Coach who helps you navigate professional expectations and soft-skill development. Your work could range from writing editorial content and analyzing audience engagement to developing social media strategies or contributing to newsletters. There will be regular check-ins and peer sessions to help you reflect on your progress and share your insights with other interns. The internship concludes with a formal presentation of your work to company mentors, giving you tangible results to add to your portfolio.
3. LA Times HS Insider Summer Internship
Location: Los Angeles Times, LA
Cost/Stipend: No cost | $16.90/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June 16 - August 1
Application deadline: February 26
Eligibility: High school students graduating in the next three years, residing in Los Angeles County and Orange County, California
The L.A. Times High School Insider Summer Internship places you in a professional newsroom for seven weeks of reporting, writing, and multimedia production. You’ll pitch stories, conduct interviews, and draft articles under the guidance of editors and veteran reporters. The training workshops provide instruction on story development, ethical reporting, and digital storytelling techniques. You will split time between the newsroom and remote work, producing content that often appears on the HS Insider platform. Collaboration and feedback are key components of the internship, which will help you refine your writing and editorial judgment. By the end of the internship, you’ll have produced published work and developed a first-hand understanding of how a major media organization operates.
4. AI Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference
Location: Washington, D.C
Cost/Stipend: No cost | $1,000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive, 51 students
Dates: June 21–26
Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Current high school junior (rising senior), one person from each state and the District of Columbia is selected as a representative
The Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference brings together 51 high school juniors (one from each U.S. state and Washington, D.C.) for a five-day, fully funded experience in Washington, D.C. The program features seminars on media ethics, investigative reporting, and the First Amendment, along with newsroom visits to organizations such as USA TODAY, The Wall Street Journal, and C-SPAN. You will engage with journalists, policymakers, and Free Spirit alumni during networking events and panel discussions. The experience also includes guided tours of Capitol Hill and national landmarks. Each selected student receives a $1,000 college scholarship as part of the program.
5. NYU Urban Journalism Workshop
Location: New York University, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: No cost | Unpaid (meals and housing covered)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: July 13-19
Application deadline: March 8
Eligibility: High school students in the tri-state area (New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey), age 16+
The NYU Urban Journalism Workshop is a residential, ten-day program for high school students from the New York metropolitan area who are eager to explore media in an urban context. You’ll live in NYU housing, attend journalism classes led by faculty and professionals, and participate in field reporting across the city. You will learn to craft multimedia stories that are later published on the workshop’s website, The Spectrum. The curriculum blends writing, interviewing, and digital production with newsroom visits to outlets such as CNN and The New York Times. You’ll also receive advice from NYU admissions counselors on preparing for college studies in media and communications.
6. Stony Brook University Pre-College Summer Program – Robert W. Greene Summer Institute for High School Journalists
Location: Stony Brook University, NY
Cost/Stipend: Not specified; limited scholarships available | Unpaid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: One-week sessions in the summer
Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students
Stony Brook University’s Robert W. Greene Summer Institute is a weeklong residential program that introduces you to the fundamentals of multimedia journalism. You’ll work with Stony Brook faculty and media professionals to learn interviewing, writing, and visual storytelling techniques. The daily schedule combines lectures, newsroom labs, and field reporting exercises, covering everything from newswriting and broadcast production to photojournalism. You will gain experience using professional cameras, writing scripts, and editing short video segments. The collaborative projects simulate newsroom environments where you will produce publishable stories by the week’s end.
7. Asian American Journalists Association’s JCamp Summer Program
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Cost/Stipend: No cost | Unpaid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective, ~30 students
Dates: June 20-26
Application deadline: January 11
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors
AAJA’s JCamp is a six-day training program designed to develop the next generation of journalists through hands-on instruction and cross-cultural collaboration. Students from diverse backgrounds work with veteran reporters and editors to produce multimedia news packages for JCamp Live. You will have workshops and field assignments that cover storytelling, leadership, and newsroom ethics while emphasizing diversity and inclusion in media coverage. You’ll attend sessions on persuasive communication, teamwork, and professional accountability that extend beyond technical writing skills. You will network with mentors and attend the AAJA national convention, giving you direct exposure to the professional journalism community.
8. Project Write Now Teen Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: No cost | Unpaid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; limited cohort
Dates: Offered year-round; flexible internship blocks during summer months
Application deadline: Typically June
Eligibility: High school students; ages 15-18
The Project Write Now Teen Internship enables you to explore creative and editorial work while gaining practical communication and leadership experience. You will contribute to a range of writing projects, assist with social media and digital content, and help organize writing workshops for younger students. Depending on your focus, you might serve as a teaching assistant, editorial assistant, or member of the interview project, each offering hands-on opportunities to refine writing and mentoring skills. The experience includes producing creative essays, poetry, or social media content for Bridge Ink, the organization’s youth literary magazine. At the end of the internship, you will receive a letter of accomplishment and a body of portfolio-ready work.
9. Florida International University’s Journalism Jumpstart Program
Location: Florida International University, North Miami, FL
Cost/Stipend: No cost | Unpaid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: No information available
Dates: June 23 – July 3
Application deadline: June 13
Eligibility: Middle school and high school students of Miami-Dade and Broward counties
Florida International University’s Journalism Jumpstart Program is a two-week summer initiative for middle and high school students in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. The program is based on newsroom experience, where you’ll research, conduct interviews, and produce news stories guided by professional journalists and writing coaches. You will create articles, graphics, and multimedia packages focused on health and community issues, following themes assigned by the Dow Jones News Fund. Each student’s work is published on the Jumpstart Journal, providing tangible clips for early portfolios. The program also features workshops in video and data journalism, newsroom collaboration, and opportunities to compete for scholarships.
10. Dow Jones News Fund High School Summer Journalism Workshops
Location: Workshops are held across various universities, nonprofits, and media organizations in 24 states and the District of Columbia
Cost/Stipend: No cost | Unpaid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: 1–2 weeks between May and August (dates vary by location)
Application deadline: Varies by location; typically between February and May
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors
The Dow Jones News Fund High School Summer Journalism Workshops take place at universities and community sites nationwide, offering an intensive introduction to reporting, multimedia production, and media ethics. Over several days, you’ll learn to report and write for an audience, shoot and edit video, and create digital stories under the mentorship of experienced journalists and educators. Many workshops are funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and focus on health and wellness reporting, a crucial and evolving field in journalism. The experience combines classroom lessons with field reporting and newsroom simulations, ending with published work across print and digital platforms.
11. Pasquines Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: No cost | Unpaid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Ongoing (internships available for indefinite periods)
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: All high school students are eligible to apply
The Pasquines Internship is a virtual journalism opportunity that focuses on political and policy issues across U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. As an intern, you’ll research, write, and edit stories that connect regional developments to national and global contexts, often covering underreported topics. You will work in close collaboration with editors and fellow interns in a nonprofit newsroom setting, giving you an understanding of how digital publishing operates. The internship is flexible, requiring a minimum commitment of about two hours per week, making it compatible with school schedules.
12. Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) Annual Summer Journalism Workshop
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY, and virtual
Cost/Stipend: To be announced | Unpaid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: In-person (Residential and Commuter): June 21–26 and June 28–July 3 | Virtual: July 6–10 | July 13–17 | July 20–27
Application deadline: No information available
Eligibility: Open to all students from senior high schools in the U.S. (public, private, or faith-based)
The Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s Annual Summer Journalism Workshop, hosted at Columbia University, delivers weeklong sessions in reporting, writing, leadership, and publication design. You will choose from different learning sequences, such as editorial leadership, digital design, or news writing, depending on your area of interest. The instruction is led by Columbia faculty and experienced scholastic press professionals, providing a mix of lecture and hands-on project work. You’ll gain practical newsroom skills and learn how to guide a student publication or contribute to one with greater editorial confidence.
13. Medill‑Northwestern Journalism Institute (“Cherubs”)
Location: Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
Cost/Stipend: $50 application fee + $5,000 program fee (tuition, room, board, field trips included; financial aid available) | Unpaid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective, approximately 35-40%
Dates: June 29–July 25
Application deadline: March 6
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors
The Medill-Northwestern Journalism Institute, known as “Cherubs”, is a four-week residential program on Northwestern University’s campus for rising high school seniors. You’ll study reporting, writing, and editing across print, broadcast, and digital formats under the mentorship of Medill faculty and working journalists. The schedule includes more than 50 classes, workshops, and field trips, along with assignments that cover everything from opinion pieces to feature stories. You will also practice photojournalism, audio, and video production while learning to write with accuracy and clarity. There will be regular critique sessions, which will help refine your work and strengthen your editorial judgment. The program culminates in a portfolio review and the publication of stories, offering valuable preparation for college-level journalism.
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