Social Media and Marketing Intern

IMPORTANT: Internships are unpaid, therefore interns must be eligible to receive academic credit during the Fall 2024 semester for their internship. If you are a student, contact your career counselor for more information. 

We expect all interns to work 2-3 full days per week, though half days are permissible on a case-by-case basis to accommodate school schedules.

All applicants should submit a resume, cover letter, and portfolio/writing samples (if available). 

Observer is a premier online editorial platform. For the past two decades, we have captured a loyal readership through witty, irreverent and opinionated coverage of society, technology and innovation, real estate, arts, culture and entertainment. Although the New York Observer has been discontinued as a print publication, its legacy endures through our digital platforms.

Observer has published many of the nation’s top journalists, critics and essayists over the years, including Joe Conason, John Heilpern, Rex Reed, Andrew Sarris, Robert Gottlieb, Ron Rosenbaum, Susan Faludi and Peter Bogdanovich. In the mid-1990s, the New York Observer published “Sex and the City,” Candace Bushnell’s column on Manhattan’s social life that inspired the hit television series and subsequent films.

Observer is currently seeking a social media and marketing intern, available 2-3 days per week. Candidates This internship will be a great opportunity to work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment alongside experienced writers, editors and marketing professionals to acquire invaluable skills.

Though much of the team is remote, we have daily meetings and frequent check-ins. There are also opportunities to come into the office. Interns are fully integrated into this hybrid environment, where they have the opportunity to gain invaluable online editorial and in-person newsroom experience. 

The intern will work closely across all verticals, and job duties will include but are not limited to: 

• Assisting with management of Observer’s social media presence on TikTok, Instagram (particularly with Reels), Twitter/X, Facebook and LinkedIn
• Writing social copy, formatting and sourcing images, creating and editing footage, scheduling content
• Helping to design and execute promotional events that will increase readership and brand awareness
• Creating lists of media outlets to pitch and helping to craft pitches
• Managing site traffic data and formatting performance reports
• Updating site elements, including but not limited to related links, slide shows and story tags

Note: This is not an editorial internship. Interns will not be given reporting assignments. However, there will be plenty of opportunities for creative thinking and copywriting.

Qualifications: 

• Eligible for college credit
• Passion for online media, social media and business development
• Basic understanding of HTML and Google Analytics is useful but not required
• Desire to take on responsibility and provide creative suggestions
• Experience in media/online business preferred but not required

Observer runs three internship sessions a year: Spring (early January through May), Summer (June through August) and Fall (early September through December). Interns can work remotely but have the option to come into Observer's office in Manhattan. Former interns have gone on to be hired full time at Observer, as well as at The New York Times, New York Magazine, The New Republic and many other publications.