Journalism Intern, Boston, MA
The Boston Globe is the eyes and ears of all things Massachusetts and beyond. If you’re a student in Boston interested in journalism, writing, publishing, politics, business, a slowly-rising mountain of snow getting ready to consume all of Back Bay, etcetera, etcetera, then the Globe may just be the Edward to your Bella (AKA a match made in heaven).
What it’s actually like
Picture life as a real, full-fledged reporter. That’s pretty much it. “You are going to be a staffer for us, whether it is a reporter, copy editor, designer, or photographer. We expect you’ll come in and hit the ground running.” – Paula Bouknight, Assistant Managing Editor of Hiring and Development.
Cool stuff you’ll get to do
Downside: you don’t get to pick your own stories. Upside: you never know when a story may become huge. For example, a run-of-the-mill murder story could blow up over the course of the week into a real-life CSI case, sending you into a frenzy trying to cover an entire story about death and calamity on a deadline (yes, this actually happened to an intern). Besides, after the initial hand-off and sit-down with an editor, you hold the reins. From finding sources to navigating the direction of the story, you are the boss. Terrifying, yes, but oh-so-powerful.
What you’ll learn
The newspaper biz. All of it. Journalism interns at the Boston Globe have editors, writing workshops, mentors in the form of former-interns-turned-staffers and even a writing coach at their disposal. But don’t be fooled; it’s a hands-on learning experience. “The goal is not to sit and help them write the story, but to look at the work afterwards and discuss changes, what they should have done, what they did well.” –Paula Bouknight, Assistant Managing Editor of Hiring and Development.
How to prepare for your application
While previous experience is not required, it is recommended. If you can’t even put working on your high school paper on your app, then get desperate. Try to pick up a few stories for your hometown newspaper and make that yawner about the new speed bump on Main Street entertaining. This is the Boston Globe, people. Go-getters, welcome.
Skills that impress them
The expected level of writing finesse is more than just crossing your t’s and dotting your i’s. “We don’t remember the school or the intern’s name even, but we’ll start talking about the stories, the characters they create through their words, the news story they brought to life.” –Paula Bouknight, Assistant Managing Editor of Hiring and Development.
Cool perks
Unbelievable networking opportunities are no surprise, not to mention the fact that your name could be blazoned underneath a front-page story. Now that’s something for mom to put on the fridge.
The deets
12 weeks with schedules changing on a week-by-week basis.
The icing on the cake: it’s paid.
Although this is a summer internship, applications are due early in the year (think October and November timeframe).
