Free Press Indiana is piloting an internship program designed to place five students with Mirror Indy and other media partner organizations. Students will be expected to create essential content for the outlet(s) during summer 2024.

This is not a passive internship — you will be a key part of the newsroom(s) and your work will be necessary and valued.

To succeed in this internship, students should be curious and coachable, and adhere to the SPJ Code of Ethics. This is not a position for beginners — students should have numerous bylines (freelance or student media work, not classwork) and be nearing the end of their collegiate careers.

Eligibility

Preference will be given to first-generation college students and/or underrepresented populations. 

• Students should have a portfolio of work that includes freelance bylines and/or student media bylines. Classwork will be weighed and considered on a case-by-case basis.
• Students must have reliable automobile transportation to and from the workplace.
• Students will live in Indianapolis during the summer.

Key Expectations

• Research materials and fact-check data
• Conduct in-person interviews whenever possible
• Write well-constructed articles/create complete video/audio content 
• Be comfortable taking photos
• Work with outlet staff photographers (where available) 
• Assist with larger team projects

Key Project

Interns will be the primary producers of a specialized voter and elections project — a months-long effort that will focus on what happens in a county with no local media when a gubernatorial and presidential race are happening. Kinds of stories that will be expected include a look at community engagement; economic development in a small, rural county; education opportunities and outcomes; the local health care system; and other content designed to tell a complete story of life in a local news desert during important elections.

Students will be paid $20/hour, 32 hours per week, for 10 weeks of work, for a total possible compensation package of $6400. 

Additionally, as part of your internship, students will attend the Associated Collegiate Press MEGA Workshop at the University of Minnesota, July 18-20. The MEGA program will connect interns with hundreds of other student journalists from across the country. You will be expected to successfully complete one of the 14 dedicated workshop tracks, and share what you learned with your fellow intern cohort upon your return to Indianapolis. 

You will also be encouraged to network with other interns at outlets across the city. Specific networking events and outings will be planned, and your participation is strongly encouraged. 

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How to apply

Students must submit all of the required documents listed below. Please send information to Lisa Renze, managing editor for partnerships and projects. Applications will be accepted until the positions are filled.

• Work experience/resume reflecting your ability to perform an internship;
• Letter of referral or recommendation from college newspaper, yearbook or faculty adviser for whom you have worked, from a professor you had in a journalism-related class (i.e. journalism, photography, graphic arts) or from a professional editor/news director with whom you have worked in a freelance/professional capacity;
• Portfolio of work including no more than five writing samples and no more than 10 photo samples, OR a broadcast reel that includes five stories you wrote, photographed and edited;
• A personal statement of no more than 500 words explaining why you are interested in this internship, and what kind of work you hope to accomplish over the summer. This should not replicate your resume.