"Editorial Intern (Student)"

Job Details

Work Where You Learn: Build Experience, Grow Skills, and Contribute to Your University Community. This position is available only to enrolled American University students.

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Department:

School of Communication

Time Type:

Part time

FLSA Status:

Non-Exempt

Job Description:

Summary:

Current seeks an advanced undergraduate or graduate student in journalism to research and report on issues affecting public media in the United States. Successful candidates will have strong writing skills; an interest in thinking analytically about media and how it is funded, created and distributed; and the ability to collaborate on various aspects of news reporting and publishing.

Current is an independent news service covering public media, including NPR, PBS, and stations. We operate a website and publish a quarterly print publication. Our editorial interns research, report, and write their own stories with support from Current’s editors and reporters. Many have gone on to successful internships and professional jobs at other news organizations.

Essential Functions:

• Research, report, and write original coverage. Gather information and multiple perspectives for news reporting through interviews, analysis, reading, observation and events. Check facts, spellings, numbers, and assumptions to confirm details of news events. Produce timely and valuable material for digital coverage and report on developing stories.
• Revise work in progress and collaborate with editors in preparing coverage for online publication. Advise editors on art direction by collecting photos, artwork and graphics and identifying opportunities for presenting data and multimedia elements.
• Work with Current staff on production, planning, and discussion. Develop and pitch story ideas. Produce social media posts sharing links to Current’s news articles, adhering to Current’s editorial practices. Collaborate with the digital editor and the managing editor in responding to reader reactions.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work:

• Part-time.
• Student.
• 20 hours per week.
• Jan 12, 2026 – May 8, 2026; 15–20 hours per week (exact dates and daily work schedule to be determined).

Salary Range:

• $17.95 - $25.00 per hour (commensurate with experience).

Required Education and Experience:

• Junior, senior, or graduate-level journalism coursework. For undergraduates, this includes COMM-320 (Reporting).
• As of fall 2025, a junior, senior, or graduate student with a major in American University's School of Communications and a minimum overall 3.25 GPA. Graduate students must have completed their first semester of study to be considered for this internship.
• Experience reporting in-depth stories or analyses for coursework, student journalism organizations, or previous editorial internships.
• Familiarity with the WordPress content management system.
• Analytical, quantitative, and writing skills.
• Interest in journalism, public media, the media business, and/or public policy.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications:

• To complete your application, upload your resume and three writing samples that best represent your work. Also, fill out this short survey about your qualifications, goals for the internship, and professors whom we can contact as references.
• Questions? Contact Digital Editor Mike Janssen, mike@current.org.

Other Details

• This position is available only to enrolled American University students.
• Please note this job announcement is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
• American University is an E-Verify employer.
• Visit https://www.american.edu/hr/ for additional information about American University employment and benefits.