Intern, Reverb Reporter - MPR News

Position Information:

• Start Date: June 6 – August 29, 2025
• Hours: 40 hours per week (9:00 – 5:00pm)
• Location: St. Paul, MN (Hybrid)
• Compensation: $20.00/hour
• Application deadline: Application will close once finalists are selected.

Intern, Reverb Reporter:

Are you energetic, proactive, and versatile? Do you have an eye for stories that involve or impact younger adults in Minnesota, and ideas on how to craft content that’s likely to reach and engage them? If yes, come join our team as the Reverb Reporter Intern and be ready to cover trending topics in multiple mediums. We want you to be excited about the opportunity to cover a wide range of topics quickly.

You will have the opportunity to produce written stories that publish on mprnews.org, radio spots that air in newscasts, social-media posts, and potentially social video. Our experienced editors will be there with you every step of the way as you hone your craft and develop your voice as a journalist. Join our team and see your byline reach thousands across the state while launching your career in public media.

The Reverb team, is a small team of reporters, producers and an editor who create news content for younger Minnesotans. We do that by centering their perspectives, answering their questions, celebrating them, and exploring how they’re uniquely impacted by issues. We prioritize digital content, aiming to serve young adults news how they want it (faster, shorter and scannable) and where they are (on their phones and on social media).  

You can see some of our team’s content at mprnews.org/reverb and on the MPR News TikTok and Instagram accounts. 

Key Learning Goals:

• Learn how to rapidly respond to news and develop brief stories on a tight timeline
• Build your portfolio by publishing dozens of pieces of work across multiple mediums
• Learn to use analytics and audience feedback to inform your reporting – a highly desired skill in modern newsrooms
• Collaborate closely with colleagues on your team, resulting in strong professional connections
• Develop multimedia skills, increase your relevance to a wider range of jobs in the future

Responsibilities:

• Find, pitch and report original story ideas about local news in several mediums, resulting in multiple pieces of content published per week across platforms
• Keep up with daily news and trending topics in Minnesota to inform whether you spend each workday jumping on a new story or focusing on your own ideas
• Turn in work that is accurate

Benefits:

• Eligible to accrue sick time off
• Eligible for health insurance as required under the ACA
• Eligible to participate in the APMG retirement plan
• 100% paid onsite parking or public transportation

Programming:

• Participate in robust on-boarding experience
• Professional development: on-the-job training, intercultural development assessment, formal performance review feedback sessions, etc.
• Participate in brown bag sessions to gain broader perspective of the organization

Required Qualifications:

• Students who are currently enrolled and have completed one year of a 2-year or 4-year undergraduate program, are enrolled in a graduate program, or have earned a degree in the last 12 months
• At least one semester of published reporting experience (can be freelancing or at an internship, fellowship or college publication)
• A sense of urgency and ability to meet tight deadlines
• Willingness to capture photo, audio and video during your reporting (we will provide the equipment)
• Experience using social media, search- and social-listening tools, and/or community sourcing to surface trending topics (even if this hasn’t yet resulted in published work for you, we want to know that you know what’s trending)
• Moderate to advanced understanding of social-media platforms
• Genuine interest in what makes audiences want to consume, engage with and share content
• Strong understanding of journalism ethics and standards
• Strong writing, reporting and interviewing skills for at least one medium
• Knowledge of AP Style
• A sense of professionalism, interpersonal skills and an understanding that talking with you may be the first time a source has ever interacted with media

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience creating trending, breaking or general-assignment news content in any medium
• An expansive idea of what “trending” content can be and where it happens
• Experience using analytics tools to interpret content performance and inform content decisions
• Willingness to be on camera at least occasionally to serve social-media audiences in video
• Ability to communicate in a clear, engaging and relatable tone for published work

Next Step in the Application:

In addition to your skills and knowledge, we want to get to know you in the application process. Please include a cover letter (of no more than 1 page) with answers to the following:

• What interests you about this internship?
• What professional skills would you like to add to your toolbox in the months and years to come to grow in your career field?

Physical Demands and Working Conditions:

• Must be able to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation
• Physical Demands:
  • Required to move about in an office environment and sit for extended periods of time
  • Required to move about in the community
  • Frequent use of hands for data entry/keystrokes and simple grasping
• Working Conditions:
  • Moderate noise level
  • Occasional exposure to prevalent weather conditions

Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. 

We are committed to hiring a breadth of diverse professionals and encourage members of diverse groups to apply.

MacMillan Internship & Fellowship Program at MPR|APM

Minnesota Public Radio | American Public Media are grateful for the long-time, generous philanthropy of Whitney and Elizabeth MacMillan for investing in the future of public media through transformational internships and fellowships. Their recent grant will significantly strengthen our internship program, produce enriching programming, and prepare the next generation for careers in public media. We are pleased to recognize this generous support in the name of the program – the MacMillan Internship & Fellowship Program at MPR|APM.

Salary : $20