KQED Food & Check, Please! Bay Area Editorial & Audience Engagement Intern

Deadline to apply for KQED Internships is Friday, October 30, 2026. Please state which internship(s) you are applying for in your cover letter and apply to each internship individually.

This is a paid internship, working 16 hours per week from Tuesday, January 19, 2027, through Friday, June 25, 2027. The current hourly rate is $19.61 per hour.

KQED Food & Check, Please! Bay Area Editorial & Audience Engagement Intern

The KQED Food & Check, Please! Bay Area Editorial & Audience Engagement Intern plays a key role in building and connecting with our audience through social media platforms, email, web, radio and broadcast. Working with a small but nimble team, the intern will contribute to editorial packaging, promotional writing, audience engagement, research and outreach for Check, Please! Bay Area and other KQED Food programming. The intern will have opportunities to write and adapt copy for different platforms and audiences, help translate thoughtful food stories into engaging social content, support community conversations, and contribute to the promotion of KQED Food programming throughout its lifecycle. They may also assist with pre- and post-production efforts as needed. We encourage applicants to bring their unique passions and interests to the table and work with us to find an opportunity for growth that is tailored to their career goals.

KQED envisions a public media organization with a culture that centers on human dignity, equity, and belonging. This will enable us to better serve and reflect the Bay Area through diverse and inclusive storytelling. 

We value the contributions of marginalized people in society — including Black, Indigenous, and all people of color,  people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ people — and we believe that these communities must be centered in the work we do, and we strongly encourage members of these communities to apply.

KQED Code of Ethics  https://www.kqed.org/about/code-ethics

The mission that drives us:

KQED provide citizens of Northern California with a community-supported alternative to commercial media.   We provide citizens with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions; convene community dialogue; bring the arts to everyone and engage audiences to share their stories. We help students and teachers thrive in 21st-century classrooms, and take people of all ages on journeys of exploration- exposing them to new people, places and ideas.

This role will work hybrid between working in KQED's newly renovated headquarters and working remotely. 

Essential Functions:

• Support the development and adaptation of promotional and editorial copy for Check, Please! Bay Area across platforms, including social media toolkits, tune-in emails, radio promotional language, episode and full-season descriptions, and other marketing materials.
• Support KQED Food’s social media accounts by writing and packaging content, engaging with audiences and collaborating with the team to brainstorm and test new approaches to reaching our goals.
• Collaborate with KQED Food and other teams to develop Instagram carousels and social packages that bring thoughtful, engaging food content to audiences across platforms.
• Support Check, Please! Bay Area web promotion by helping update webpages, reviewing content and providing feedback with an eye toward accuracy, clarity and audience experience.
• Assist with Check, Please! Bay Area audience outreach, restaurant research and prospective guest review.
• Help manage audience conversations across KQED Food’s social platforms and contribute to social media publishing and content creation.
• Support producers on Check, Please! Bay Area taping days and with other pre- and post-production needs, as needed.
• Pitch and lead a digital engagement project centered around your interests!

Knowledge/Experience Required:

Even if you're developing these skills, we encourage you to apply! Many of these requirements can be learned on the job.

• Strong writing skills and an interest in adapting voice, tone and format for different platforms and audiences.
• Familiarity with major social media platforms with an interest in experimenting with social-first formats and trends.
• Passion for food and drink, ideally with some knowledge of the Bay Area culinary scene.
• Strong research, organization, and time management skills with the ability to work independently and balance multiple assignments.
• Comfort using digital tools (Google Drive, Canva, basic video publishing tools).
• Ability to write concise, engaging, and platform-appropriate social media copy.
• Cultural competence and eagerness to engage with diverse communities.