THE HARVARD PRESS

NEWS AND FEATURES REPORTING SUMMER INTERNSHIP 
 

The editorial department of the Harvard Press (Harvard, MA) offers news reporting internships each summer  to candidates eager to gain practical experience in reporting, writing, and editing local news and features.

Each internship runs from the start of summer vacation until the resumption of fall classes, with flexible start and end dates. We invite students who have completed a successful internship with the Press to continue as freelance reporters as they prepare to take the next step in their careers.

While Press intern positions are not salaried, interns are hired as freelance journalists and paid Press rates for each published news report, feature, or column.

Responsibilities: 

The Harvard Press is looking for candidates who can think creatively and work quickly and independently. Responsibilities include.

• Attend the weekly staff news meetings (Thursdays, 11 a.m.-12 noon) and a weekly check-in meeting with intern’s assigned mentor, in person or remotely.
• Assist in covering one news, sports, or topical beat. We will do our best to match assignments to the intern’s post-graduation aspirations.
• Pitch 3-5 story ideas at weekly meetings with an assigned mentor.
• Research, report, interview and write 1-3 news, sports or feature stories a week.
• Master AP and Harvard Press styles of writing and format, and meet standards of accuracy, thoroughness, and fairness.
• [Optional] Assist in the teaching and mentoring Harvard high school news and sports reporters.
• [Optional] Assist with research and reporting of special projects as assigned (recent examples have included reporting on racism and climate change)

Qualifications: 

• Coursework or a major in journalism, communications, and/or English; ideally, one or more courses with a focus on news and feature writing, creative writing, copyediting, or digital media
• Ability to manage multiple stories at once and submit them all on time
• Editing or previous experience in a high school, college or local newsroom is a plus
• Familiarity with Microsoft Word and Excel, and Google Docs and Sheets is a plus

Please have links to your work and/or be able to show it on either a website, tablet, laptop, or social media feed.

You’ll be asked to provide one reference and three to five articles that you think represent your best work.

ABOUT THE HARVARD PRESS TEAM: 

We are a hyperlocal paper with a mission to provide the citizens of Harvard (and Devens) with the information they need to participate in our Town Meeting, volunteer-driven form of government We aim to build a sense of community by publishing engaging stories that reflect the day-to-day experiences of the people who live and work here.

The paper won a first-place NENPA award in 2018 for its reporting on the decision to build a new multi-million dollar elementary school and was named the 2019 Citizen of Note at May, 2020 Annual Town Meeting. The paper was cited by James Fallows in Atlantic Magazine for its commitment to community news.

Our editorial team is composed of writers, editors, and contributors with extensive professional experience in their fields of expertise. We are committed to providing an environment where college students and post-college adults can master the journalistic skills needed to cover local government, schools, and the life of a small New England community.

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OF THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

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