Local Reporting Internship - Stocktonia - Summer/Fall 2025

NEWSWELL is seeking interns to cover local communities whom we can foster and develop to navigate a transformative journalism environment. 

Internships are available during the summer and fall semesters of 2025.

Internship details

Summer 2025

Duration: 10 weeks (early June – mid-August)

Hours: 40/week

Working Environment:

• The position is based in Stockton, California – a short drive from Sacramento and the Bay Area. 
• Mainly M-F daytime schedule but flexibility required for potential evenings or weekends as needed 
• Regular use of standard newsroom equipment, including cloud-based applications, mobile apps, etc.

Fall 2025

Duration: 15 weeks (late August – early December)

Hours: 16/week

Working Environment:

• The position is based in Stockton, California – a short drive from Sacramento and the Bay Area. 
• Mainly M-F daytime schedule but flexibility required for potential evenings or weekends as needed. Work schedules are set up to accommodate the student’s university courses
• Regular use of standard newsroom equipment, including cloud-based applications, mobile apps, etc.

The expected pay rate for these positions is $20/hr.

You will help to cover high-interest topics in this community – some 320,000 people, in a county of nearly 800,000. In one of the most diverse regions in the U.S., Stocktonia covers some of the most important issues in the area from agriculture, business and education to civic engagement. Stocktonia launched in 2021 in response to the critical lack of reporting on current events in Stockton and San Joaquin County. It joined NEWSWELL in 2024.

NEWSWELL is a nonprofit network of local news organizations that helps newsrooms become nonprofit and for-community. It provides strategic guidance, innovative solutions and wrap-around operations so local journalists can focus on local news, and newsrooms can best serve their communities. NEWSWELL partners with Arizona State University, the nation’s most innovative nine years in a row, to offer game-changing ideas, tools and research. NEWSWELL transforms local news to help communities and democracy thrive.

This paid internship will give the candidate the opportunity to cover local news in one of the most diverse counties in the U.S. 

Internships are tailored to the specific students’ skills and interests, and it could include experiences covering breaking news, politics, sports and features; overseeing the website; writing headlines and copy editing; creating social media content; editing visuals and/or researching and fact checking. 

Seasoned journalists will mentor and coach interns and provide one-on-one editing and individual growth and development plans.

What you'll do

• Cover local news and events (public meetings, news conferences, etc.)
• Identify, develop, report and write quick-turn and enterprise stories
• Identify and track trending topics and pitch ideas to editors
• Write about local college and professional sports
• Aggregate breaking local news stories from multiple sources
• Edit and publish wire service content
• Edit, crop and size photos for online publication
• Create compelling, SEO-friendly headlines
• Contribute content to email newsletters
• Help to manage the site, including the homepage 

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What you'll need

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including knowledge and ability to apply proper grammar, spelling and punctuation
• Strong news writing and editing skills, including familiarity with Associated Press style
• Understanding of basic journalism concepts, including libel law and news judgment
• Ability to work independently and also within a team environment
• Proven track record of professionalism, dependability and punctuality 
• Knowledge of basic journalism tools, such as familiarity with WordPress, Photoshop, popular social media platforms, etc. 
• Ability to maintain a high degree of confidentiality and responsibility
• Attention to detail and thoroughness in completing assigned duties
• Spanish fluency is a plus

Relevant qualifications

Candidates must meet one of the following conditions:

• 1) a degree-seeking student currently enrolled in a journalism or communications-related program at a college or university who has completed the equivalent of at least one year of college.
• 2) a degree-seeking graduate student enrolled in a journalism or communications-related program at a college or university.
• 3) a recent graduate from a journalism or communications-related program at a college or university. 

Preference will be given to more advanced students. 

Submission requirements

Please put together a single document file that includes the following, in this order:

• Your resume (one to two pages)
• A cover letter that highlights your strengths and explains why you make a strong candidate for the position
• Links to three to five online samples of your work with one- to two-sentence descriptions for each link. The descriptions should contain details about what you did and how you did it

Please assemble these materials into a single document and upload them in a PDF format.

Why join us?

This position would allow you to do local journalism in a region that urgently needs it. As a member of our growing team, you would play a critical role in shaping our newsroom and the future of our organization. You would work with dedicated colleagues who want to produce quality journalism that creates community impact and drives change. We also provide opportunities for professional development and growth aimed at interns and other emerging journalists. 

NEWSWELL is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Salary : $20