If you are a high school student interested in journalism, adding an internship to your resume would be valuable for college applications. You will be able to apply concepts learned in high school to real-life situations, a skill admissions officers value in applicants. We have curated a helpful list of programs and internships in journalism you can consider. From print media to broadcasting and even public relations, these programs explore a variety of topics.

While some of these follow a more traditional format of an internship, others come in the form of conferences or workshops. However, each program on this list offers you an opportunity to work alongside journalists to gain real-world experience.

Why do a summer internship?

Internships offer many benefits; however, they primarily give you insight into what your future career could look like and whether your field of interest suits you. Moreover, internships allow you to gain real-world experience in the career of your choice, which supplements your classroom knowledge. You can also learn from industry professionals and experts. Through interacting with other peers and mentors, you can network with experts in your industry, allowing you to make connections for future job opportunities.

Additionally, doing an internship in high school showcases your dedication to a particular field, and mentioning this on your resume can benefit your chances of getting into your dream school! Lastly, internships are beneficial for developing transferable and soft skills, such as collaboration, time management, and communication skills. These skills will be applicable throughout your life.

Here are 10 journalism internships for high school students! Note that the following information is based on the most recent program, with dates subject to change but generally similar from year to year.

1. Ladder Internships - Journalism Track

Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program for ambitious high school students! In the program, you work with a high-growth start-up on an internship. Start-ups that offer internships range across a variety of industries, from tech/deep tech and AI/ML to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. You can explore all the options here on their application form. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average raising over a million dollars. In the program, interns work closely with their managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and present their work to the company. Here is the application form. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.

Cost: Starting at $2,490 (financial aid available)

Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.

Application Deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September) and Winter (November). 

Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.

Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students!

2. Princeton Summer Journalism Program

If you are interested in political journalism, this year-long course at Princeton is a great option. The Princeton Summer Journalism Program (PSJP) offers high achievers from low-income families a free residential journalism and college preparation program. You will study politics and current affairs, learn from Princeton professors and journalists, and collaborate with a college advisor. The program includes a variety of online and in-person opportunities, such as weekly lectures and workshops led by program graduates and journalists from publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, New York Magazine, and CNN, among others. This is a highly selective program, including a three-round application process and a final cohort of up to 40 students.

Cost: No cost

Location: Hybrid (Virtual + Princeton Campus)

Application Deadline (Summer): April 23

Program Dates (Summer): July 28 - August 7

Selection Rate: Highly Selective

Eligibility: High-achieving juniors from high school and low-income backgrounds.

3. L.A. Times High School Insider Internship

The L.A. Times High School Insider youth journalism internship is an opportunity to cover breaking news, experience multimedia storytelling, and learn how to create engaging stories. The program aims to teach you core journalism fundamentals and multimedia skills while giving you exposure to a professional work environment. You will have the opportunity to be mentored by leading journalists. Throughout the 6-week internship, interns will attempt to form stories alongside their mentors, supported by L.A. Times’ extensive training and workshops. Interns have previously covered a broad range of topics, including current events, education, arts and entertainment, etc.

Cost: No cost; stipend provided ($16/hour)

Location: Los Angeles (for Los Angeles residents)/Remote

Application Deadline (Summer): April 23

Program Dates: June 26 - August 4

Selection Rate: Highly Selective

Eligibility: Open to high school students who are eligible to work in the United States.

4. National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC)'s Journalism Program

The NSLC offers students an opportunity to interact with internationally recognized media outlets and access professional studio equipment in order to build fundamental journalism skills. The program will help you learn the importance of accurate writing and reporting through a simulation of a fast-paced newsroom. NLSC offers two individualized tracks:

• Newswriting & Investigative Reporting - You will explore the news landscape and understand the history behind investigating influential people and organizations.

• Broadcast Journalism - This track covers the cornerstones of a great news story. You will explore elements of a news show, learn how to capture broadcast-quality film and audio, and how to utilize images to deliver messages.

Guest speakers include Pulitzer Prize winners and reporters and writers from news outlets such as the Washington Post and ESPN. A list of previous guest speakers can be found here!

Cost: $3,895 (Tuition)

Location: American University, Washington D.C.

Application Deadline: Rolling Admissions

Program Dates: June 17th - June 25th; June 29th - July 7th

Selection Rate: Selective

Eligibility: Open to all high school students who have strong academic records and demonstrated leadership potential.

5. AAJA’s JCamp Summer Program

Another non-traditional internship, the AAJA JCamp is a 6-day training camp that brings culturally diverse students together to learn from veteran journalists and media executives. You will receive training from mentors and produce multimedia pieces for the program's news site - JCamp. The curriculum consists of workshops, hands-on training, and field trips. Through the program, you will experiment with broadcasting, newspaper, magazine, online media, and photojournalism. The program focuses on ingraining the value of cross-cultural communication skills, the importance of diversity in the newsroom and media coverage, and the value of networking and career mapping.

Cost: No cost

Location: Washington, D.C.

Application Deadline (Summer): March 17

Program Dates (Summer): July 15 - July 21

Selection Rate: Highly Selective

Eligibility: Priority is given to high school sophomores and juniors, but exceptional freshmen are encouraged to apply.

6. Dow Jones News Fund Workshops

The Dow Jones News Fund supports summer workshops for high school students who face barriers in pursuing a career in journalism. The Dow Jones News Fund supports 8 programs across the country - each program covering a different experience with journalism. For instance, the Howard University Multicultural Media Academy in Washington, D.C., explores the power of multimedia journalism to cover health and wellness in unrepresented communities through writing news stories and developing videos. Detroit Forward's Journalism Camp allows students to write a report on a topic of their choice with support from a personal Editing Coach and classes with a Writing Room coach.

Cost: Varies from program to program.

Location: Conducted in 8 locations. Get the complete list here!

Application Deadline (Summer): Ranges from February 28 to June 10.

Program Dates (Summer): Varies from program to program.

Selection Rate: Selective

Eligibility: Open to any high school student. Note. Some internships have specific requirements (e.g., the Andy Harvey Indigenous Youth Media Workshop is only open to Native American students across Arizona).

7. EnergyMag Internships

Open to high school and college students, EnergyMag offers virtual research internships to students looking to gain experience in the renewable energy sector. You will gain research and analytical skills by researching specific companies, technologies, and markets. Although it is not a traditional journalism internship, this program is a good way to practice your research, writing, and editing skills. Internships can be half-time (2-8 weeks, 20 hours per week) or quarter-time (1-9 months, 8 hours per week).

Cost: No cost

Location: Remote

Application Deadline: Rolling applications

Program Dates: Half-Time Internships - Summer months (2-8 weeks), Quarter-Time Internships - Year-round (1-9 months)

Selection Rate: Selective

Eligibility: Open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors who have participated in one honors science or English class (exceptions are available for certain instances) and have a minimum GPA of 3.25.

8. Northwestern’s Medill Cherub Program

The Medill Cherub Program is a 5-week summer journalism program for up to 84 rising high school seniors. You will learn from accomplished journalists and university professors and gain practical experience in journalism. The program culminates with you creating a body of work on a topic of your choice! You will be assigned an instructor who will be your mentor throughout the program. You will have the opportunity to experience various media reporting types, from print to digital and broadcast. Moreover, you will experiment with writing, reporting, editing, and creating digital media. With access to high-quality equipment, the Medill Cherub allows you to create a quality body of work to add to your college applications!

Cost: $5,000

Location: Northwestern University Campus, Evanston, IL

Application Deadline (Summer): March 13

Program Dates (Summer): June 25 - July 21

Selection Rate: Quite Selective

Eligibility: Open to rising high school seniors with solid academic standing and a strong background in journalism.

9. City Limit’s CLARIFY Program

City Limit is New York City's oldest nonprofit investigative news agency that aims to train students in public service journalism. Interns are trained in the essential tenets of reporting and news writing. This includes research, interviewing, exploring investigative techniques, media ethics, photojournalism, and more. Through this program, you will work with City Limits to report local news stories about important New York City issues, particularly from underrepresented communities. A unique feature of CLARIFY is its two cohorts - an English-language cohort and a bilingual cohort for Spanish and English speakers. Some topics previously covered by CLARIFY students include the New York housing crisis, interviews on the freedom of the press, and news on strikes. Read the previous articles of CLARIFY alums here!

Cost: No cost + stipend provided ($1,000)

Location: CUNY Brooklyn or CUNY York’s College Campuses

Application Deadline(Summer): June 15

Program Dates (Summer): July 17 - July 27

Selection Rate: Selective

Eligibility: Open to rising juniors or seniors (seniors who have graduated as of June are also welcome to apply) who reside in New York.

10. The University of Georgia Summer Media Academy

This program covers advertising and public relations, broadcast journalism, news website journalism, and entertainment and media studies. It gives each student an opportunity to work on specialized projects in an area of research of their choice, gaining experience with different aspects of a journalism career, e.g., research, campaigning, or digital media. Instructors will lead activities to explore the various aspects of journalism. For each program, students have the opportunity to design an integrated campaign for a nonprofit organization, produce a broadcast show along with the instructors, and create a news website. You will also interact with guest speakers who will give insight into their experience in journalism. You can read about the previous cohorts' work here!

Cost: Day Scholar - $440, Residential - $1090

Location: Grady College of Journalism, University of Georgia Campus, Athens, GA

Application Deadline(Summer) : Rolling Basis (Opens Jan 11th). Note. Financial need applications close on March 15.

Program Dates (Summer):

• Advertising and Public Relations - June 11th - June 17th (Overnight)

• Broadcast Journalism - June 11th - June 17th (Overnight)

• Entertainment and Media Studies - June 18th - June 24th (Overnight)

• Multimedia Journalism - June 18th - June 24th (Overnight)

Selection Rate: Selective

Eligibility: Open to students between the ages of 13-17 (at the start of the program)

One other option—the Lumiere Research Scholar Program

If you’re interested in pursuing independent research, consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4,000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.

Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!

Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a Ph.D. student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.

Image Source: AAJA JCamp logo