NPR News Now Internship - Fall 2026

About the role

A thriving, mission-driven multimedia organization, NPR produces award-winning news, information, and music programming in partnership with hundreds of independent public radio stations across the nation. The NPR audience values information, creativity, curiosity, and social responsibility - and our employees do too. We are innovators and leaders in diverse fields, from journalism and digital media to IT and development. Every day, our employees and member stations touch the lives of millions worldwide. Across our organization, we're building a workplace where collaboration is essential, diverse voices are heard, and inclusion is the key to our success. We are committed to doing the right thing in our journalism and in every role at NPR . This means that integrity, adherence to our ethical standards, and compliance with legal obligations are fundamental responsibilities for every employee at NPR. Internship Program Duration: October 5th, 2026 - April 16th, 2027 Application Instructions: Applications close on Sunday, June 21st at 11:59 pm ET. Intro to Position Tens of millions of listeners tune in to NPR's Newscasts each week to get the latest news and hear the best of NPR and its member stations' reporting in five minutes. The Newscast team collaborates with all the news desks, as well as the visual production team, giving the intern exposure to the entire newsroom. A Newscast intern should have a passion for journalism and news across a wide range of topics. The intern will have the opportunity to learn from experienced newscasters on how to adapt stories to short-form. They will assist in newsgathering, cutting tape, pitching stories and writing copy. The intern will have the opportunity to report their own stories and have their work on our air. This is an NPR editorial role covered under the terms of the NPR Ethics Handbook . All editorial staff are bound by this guidance. Editorial staff is defined as staff members who play a role in shaping the journalistic or creative direction of NPR's content, including events.

Responsibilities

• Interns will have the opportunity to experience and support the teams' work in the following areas:
• Assisting NPR anchors, reporters and producers in the formation of news programming
• Learning NPR News' radio journalism ethical standards and practices
• Developing radio reporting and producing skills in a fast-paced environment that will prepare the intern for careers at NPR member stations and at NPR itself
• Conduct research and interviews with analysts for editors and reporters
• Become proficient in audio cutting and pulling soundbites from live events
• Build out coverage calendar and identify stories to cover
• All work of the intern is to be performed under the close supervision of the Newscast team
• A strong internship candidate for this role might have:
• Some journalism experience (such as an internship at a local public radio station or a job at a college radio station)
• The above duties and responsibilities are not an exhaustive list of required responsibilities, duties and skills. Other duties may be assigned, and this job description can be modified at any time.

Requirements

• Strong writing skills
• Ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment
• Detail-oriented
• Audio cutting experience
• Strong interest in national and international news
• Ability to meet tight deadlines
• Enthusiastic about covering news, especially breaking news
• Application Requirements
• Resume
• Cover Letter
• Prompt: What do you think about the role of news in today's media landscape? What topics would you prioritize, or even de-prioritize? We would also love to learn where you might bring a particular strength or viewpoint!
• Education Requirements
• 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.
• Work Location & Requirements
• This is an on-site role based in Washington, D.C.
• Job Type
• This is a full-time, non-exempt internship.
• Schedule
• This is a full-time internship with a standard schedule of Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM EST. The schedule can be modified to experience working with different shifts during the day.

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