Introduction
With just a little over a month until the deadline to apply for one of our summer internship spots, we wanted to talk about what it’s like to be an intern at the Center.
Our interns are a pivotal part of Center staff during the summer months. This isn’t the type of position where you’ll be going for coffee runs or answering phones — from the first day, Center interns are immersed in our newsroom and most begin work in their respective projects the moment paperwork is completed. Center internships are full-time, 40 hours/week positions, and compensated at an hourly rate.
The bulk of our internships are for reporting positions: each of our coverage areas or beats will choose a reporting intern, and that person will report to a section editor for the entirety of the program. Some of the areas we cover are: politics and campaign finance, national security, environment and health care, as well as global, investigative reporting on all topics. We will be offering two to four reporting positions this summer.
Additionally, we’re looking for what you might call “out-of-the-box” interns, such as candidates with experience in: computer-assisted reporting (CAR) or interactive news design.
CAR applicants should be adept at using Microsoft Excel, and experience with Microsoft Access is a big plus. Above all, the ideal candidate will have a staggering attention to detail. In lieu of writing samples, tell us about a few of your experiences with data sets (links to published work are greatly appreciated).
If you know your way around HTML, CSS and JavaScript/jQuery, we strongly encourage you to apply for an interactive design internship. We’re especially interested in designers with some knowledge of responsive web design and experience with libraries, such as D3.js or Highcharts. Please include links to recent work.
Our internship job posting follows:
Summer 2013 Internships
The Center for Public Integrity is looking for ambitious undergraduate and graduate students or recent graduates for a 10-week, paid summer internship in Washington, D.C. The Center is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that produces original, responsible investigative journalism on issues of public concern. A motivating factor for our internship program is to help train and inspire the next generation of investigative reporters.
Interns will assist reporters in producing investigative stories and projects on a wide range of subjects that may include: money and politics, national security, government accountability, environment, financial reform and health care. Interns with appropriate experience may be assigned to our web or data departments.
Qualified candidates should have some reporting experience, strong writing skills, and a desire to pursue the types of issues we cover. Demonstrated interest in investigative or entrepreneurial reporting a plus.
Applications should include:
- Name, school, year expected to graduate
- Area of interest: editorial, web, computer-assisted reporting
- Resume
- Brief statement on why you want to work at the Center
- Three writing samples (news clips preferred)
- Multimedia samples, if available
All applications should be emailed to internship coordinator Sarah Whitmire at internships@publicintegrity.org.
Deadline to apply: March 9, 2013.
FAQs
Q: How long will it take to hear back about my application?
A: After our March 9, 2013 deadline passes, we conduct an initial review of applicants, and will be in contact (via email) within a week about whether we’d like to move forward with a phone interview. Final candidates should be chosen by March 31.
Q: Can I apply for a Center internship if I don’t live in the U.S.?
A: Unfortunately, our intern positions are only available to candidates already approved to live and work in the U.S.
Q: Will I be considered for an internship if I’ve already graduated?
A: Yes, but we will only review applications of graduates who completed their degree program in December 2012 or later.
Q: Will the Center provide housing in D.C. for the duration of the internship?
A: We unfortunately cannot provide housing for our interns. We can, however, give you a leg up on your housing search should you be selected for a position. Our staff is scattered all over the D.C.-metro area, and is happy to provide tips and pointers about securing an affordable place to live. If you’d like a head-start, the following universities offer temporary, furnished summer housing with flexible start and end dates: George Washington University, Georgetown University and American University.
Please direct any additional questions to internship coordinator Sarah Whitmire at internships@publicintegrity.org.
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