NPR Music/Culture Desk Intern - Fall/Winter 2022
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NPR’s Fall/Winter 2022 NPR Music/Culture Desk Internship will be based in Washington. D.C.
Program Duration: October 3, 2022 - April 14, 2023
NPR Music and NPR’s Culture Desk -- our hub for coverage of film, television, books, and music as well as visual and performing arts -- are both creative and curatorial enterprises: On our site, stories created by our small team of producers live alongside features from NPR’s radio programs, podcasts and digital news platforms, essays and reviews from freelance contributors, and on-the-ground reporting from around the public radio system. This season’s Editorial intern fields daily assignments spanning a large range of mediums, genres and ideas, and must work on deadline to synthesize that information into compelling content for a savvy online audience. We’re looking for an aspiring journalist with airtight editing skills, solid news judgment, strong organizational habits and the ability to think critically and independently about what makes a music story worth telling. For half of the internship, you’ll work with the Music team and for the other half, you’ll work with the Arts Desk team.
This is a full-time, paid internship.
INTERN RESPONSIBILITIES
- Podcast production on All Songs Considered, New Music Friday, Alt.Latino and other long-form NPR Music audio
- Web production for a wide array of stories, including segments from NPR’s news shows, public radio music stations, original essays by staff and freelancers, and special editorial packages
- Researching and pulling tape for reporters, for radio segments and larger projects
- Assisting NPR Music’s audience strategist with social planning and scheduling
- Transcribing, fact-checking and editing interviews; adapting broadcast pieces for presentation as dynamic web articles; improving copy that falls below our editorial standards; crafting compelling headlines and promotional language
- Communicating with producers at public radio music stations, NPR’s news programs, digital news editors, and contacts at record labels and publicity firms
- Managing deadlines from multiple supervisors, adapting to sudden changes of schedule when breaking news hits
WHO CAN APPLY?
- LOCATION: This internship onsite at our Washington, D.C. office.
- EDUCATION: Must be a current student in an accredited degree program or a recent graduate of no more than 12 months from the month of the start of the internship.
- NOTE: Before you apply, please review this guidance on cover letters from NPR’s Training department. The cover letter is a major part of the written application, and avoiding the most common pitfalls will greatly improve your standing as a candidate. https://training.npr.org/2021/03/05/how-to-write-a-cover-letter-for-a-public-media-job-or-internship/
REQUIRED SKILLS
- Strong editing and writing skills
- Passion for storytelling; an interest in the how and why behind stories in the music industry
- Working knowledge of content management systems and basic web editing
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
PREFERRED SKILLS
- Experience at a college or graduate school news site
- Experience writing for the web
- Experience editing to AP style standards
SCHEDULE
- 40 hours per week: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET
Applications close on Sunday, July 17th at 11:59 pm ET.
Does this sound like you? If so, we want to hear from you. All applications must include a resume, cover letter, and portfolio to be considered. All interns must have authorization to work in the United States.
NPR mandates that employees are vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment, subject to reasonable accommodation as required by law.
NPR is an Equal Opportunity Employer. NPR is committed to being an inclusive workplace that welcomes diverse and unique perspectives, all working toward the same goal – to create a more informed public. Qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, age, religion, religious belief, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, lactation, and reproductive health decisions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, transgender status, gender non-conforming status, intersex status, sexual stereotypes, nationality, citizenship status, personal appearance, marital status, family status, family responsibilities, military status, veteran status, mental and physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, genetic characteristics of yourself or a family member, political views and affiliation, unemployment status, protective order status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, or any other basis prohibited under applicable law.
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