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NPR Internship for Military Veterans in Journalism

By February 21, 2020December 27th, 2023Career Opportunities, News, Resources

In partnership with the non-profit organization Military Veterans in Journalism, NPR is proud to be part of an effort to create a pipeline to get more vets employed in America’s newsrooms. 

As part of its Fall 2020 Internship program, NPR will be selecting one American military veteran to serve as an intern from September 8, 2020 – December 11, 2020. This internship is fully remote and paid.

This will be an important early career step for veterans working to break into the media field. The NPR internship program has a rich history. Nearly 10% of our current staff — including Ari Shapiro, Audie Cornish, and many more — were discovered as interns.

From day one, interns at NPR are given real-world, hands-on responsibilities. Working alongside top professionals in the field, interns do meaningful work across a variety of departments at NPR. Find out how you can contribute your diverse talents to gain invaluable experience at the heart of a thriving multimedia organization.

Interns at NPR play a vital role in the organization’s daily operations in almost every division — from NPR News, Programming and Music, to Communications and Engineering. Interns are also offered a broad variety of training opportunities.  

Who Should Apply:

  • We’re looking for military veterans who are intelligent, creative, and curious. We need strong researchers and excellent writers who work well on diverse teams and can also thrive with individual assignments.
  • Candidates don’t need to know everything about NPR or public radio, but it helps to be at least a little familiar. And, of course, it doesn’t hurt to love NPR.
  • Qualified applicants must a) have been discharged from active duty, b) a reservist with at least four years of service, or c) a National Guard member with at least four years of service.   

Applications for internships may apply online with Military Veterans in Journalism. The deadline to apply is July 10 at 6pm Eastern.

The application requires:

  • a cover letter;
  • a writing sample;
  • your resume;
  • your DD-214 form (with social security number redacted);
  • names and contact information for three references (reference letters are not required), at least two of whom should be familiar with the applicant’s research and writing skills;
  • and, any unofficial transcripts from universities.