Summer Intern - Times of San Diego (Full-Time)

NEWSWELL is seeking interns to cover local communities whom we can foster and develop to navigate a transformative journalism environment. 

The expected pay rate for these positions is $20/hr.

The Times of San Diego, an award-winning digital nonprofit based in one of the country’s major metropolitan cities, serves a unique population with timely, comprehensive news that’s accessible to everyone. The county is one of the leading producers of agricultural products and the world center for unmanned aircraft and smartphone technology. Its naval facilities and Marine installations make up the largest military concentration on Earth. And just south of San Diego is Tijuana, the world’s busiest border crossing.

The Times of San Diego’s promise is to be both comprehensive – with every local story that matters – and quick, with daily news in brief, easy-to-read formats. If news affects San Diegans, whether it’s from Tijuana, Sacramento, Washington or overseas, the Times will keep you informed.

The Times is an affiliate of NEWSWELL, a nonprofit network of local news organizations that helps newsrooms become nonprofit and for-community. It provides strategic guidance, innovative solutions and wrap-around operations so local journalists can focus on local news, and newsrooms can best serve their communities. NEWSWELL partners with Arizona State University, the nation’s most innovative nine years in a row, to offer game-changing ideas, tools and research. NEWSWELL transforms local news to help communities and democracy thrive.

This paid internship will give students the opportunity to cover local news in the fifth most populous county in the U.S. 

The internships are tailored to the specific students’ skills and interests, and it could include experiences covering breaking news, politics, sports and features; overseeing the website; writing headlines and copy editing; creating social media content; editing visuals and/or researching and fact checking. 

Seasoned journalists will mentor and coach interns and provide one-on-one editing and development plans.

The decade-old online publication has 750,000 unique visitors and is located in downtown San Diego with nearby trolley access.

What you'll do

• Cover local news and events (public meetings, news conferences, etc.)

• Identify, develop, report and write quick-turn and enterprise stories

• Identify and track trending topics and pitch ideas to editors

• Write about local college and professional sports

• Aggregate breaking local news stories from multiple sources

• Edit and publish wire service content

• Edit, crop and size photos for online publication

• Create compelling, SEO-friendly headlines

• Contribute content to email newsletters

• Help to manage the site, including the homepage 

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What you'll need

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including knowledge and ability to apply proper grammar, spelling and punctuation

• Strong news writing and editing skills, including familiarity with Associated Press style

• Understanding of basic journalism concepts, including libel law and news judgment

• Ability to work independently and also within a team environment

• Proven track record of professionalism, dependability and punctuality 

• Knowledge of basic journalism tools, such as familiarity with WordPress, Photoshop, popular social media platforms, etc. 

• Ability to maintain a high degree of confidentiality and responsibility

• Attention to detail and thoroughness in completing assigned duties

• Spanish fluency is a plus

Relevant qualifications

Candidates must meet one of the following conditions:

• 1) a degree-seeking student currently enrolled in a journalism or communications-related program at a college or university who has completed the equivalent of at least one year of college.

• 2) a degree-seeking graduate student enrolled in a journalism or communications-related program at a college or university.

• 3) a recent graduate from a journalism or communications-related program at a college or university. 

Preference will be given to more advanced students. 

Submission requirements

Please put together a single document file that includes the following, in this order:

• Your resume (one to two pages)

• A cover letter that highlights your strengths and explains why you make a strong candidate for the position

• Links to three to five online samples of your work with one- to two-sentence descriptions for each link. The descriptions should contain details about what you did and how you did it

Please assemble these materials into a single document and upload them in a PDF format.

Why join us?

This position would allow you to do local journalism in a region that urgently needs it. As a member of our growing team, you would play a critical role in shaping our newsroom and the future of our organization. You would work with dedicated colleagues who want to produce quality journalism that creates community impact and drives change. We also provide opportunities for professional development and growth aimed at interns and other emerging journalists. 

NEWSWELL is an Equal Opportunity Employer