Washington Desk & National Desk Internship - Fall/Winter 2025

OVERVIEW

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Program Duration: October 6th 2025 - April 17th 2026

INTERN WILL LEARN AND BE EXPOSED TO:

This internship consists of two parts. Each part will be hosted by a different team.

Washington Desk October-January:

During the first half of their internship the intern will join the Washington Desk and its reporters covering the White House Congress politics national security and other critical beats. As the NPR Politics intern you will play a key role. The Desk intern will conduct research for reporters and editors maintain our calendar of events build clipboards for radio pieces build digital story pages log interviews and have the opportunity to write for the web. Candidates must have a demonstrated interest in journalism as well as government and politics.

National Desk January-April:

During the second half of the internship the intern will work with NPRs National Desk. Ideal for those who aspire to be a reporter in public media National Desk interns are given real-world hands-on responsibilities from day one. Working alongside top professionals in the field interns conduct meaningful work such as researching pitching and reporting their own stories and may also have the opportunity to accompany staff reporters and producers on assignments. Our reporters and editors are among the best in the business and the National Desk is a great place to learn the craft of reporting. The internship is also a lot of fun.

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 are defined as staff members who play a role in shaping the journalistic or creative direction of NPRs content including events.

Interns will have the opportunity to experience and support the teams work in the following areas:

• Assisting NPR staff reporters editors producers hosts and freelancers in the creation of news programming
• Learning NPR News radio journalism ethical standards and practices
• Developing radio reporting and producing skills that will prepare the intern for careers at NPR member stations and at NPR itself
• Conduct research for editors and reporters
• Build clipboards log tape and write digital posts
• Maintain the Washington desk calendar
• All work of the intern is to be performed under the close supervision of the host teams

A strong internship candidate for this role might have:

• A keen interest in journalism
• Specific interest in public media
• Some journalism experience (such as an internship at a local public radio station or a job at a college radio station)

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• Writing Sample

EDUCATION:

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

• On-site: This is an on-site role based in Washington DC.

JOB TYPE

• This is a temporary (28-week) full time internship.

COMPENSATION

• Hourly Rate: The U.S. based anticipated hourly rate for this opportunity is $20.00 per hour. The range displayed reflects the minimum and maximum hourly rate NPR expects to provide for internships across all US locations.
• Benefits: NPR provides interns with multiple benefits and amenities. Interns receive immediate eligibility to contribute electively to a Principal 403(b) retirement plan and access to the Transit Flexible Spending Account for commuter benefits. Interns working out of DC HQ enjoy free access to on-site Cigna medical providers no-cost fitness center access as well as bike facilities and garage parking available onsite. Interns can access the Employee Assistance Program which provides confidential counseling services as well as Business Travel Accident coverage and Global Guardian membership and they also qualify for Signal Financial Federal Credit Union membership. NPR interns who work 30 or more hours per week are eligible for holiday pay. This includes pay for the companys 10 observed holidays plus one floating holiday per year. Interns automatically earn 3.08 hours of sick leave each pay period without any waiting time restrictions and can utilize paid administrative leave as necessary. Interns have access to professional development opportunities and can benefit from flexible work hours and telecommuting options.

SCHEDULE

• Generally Monday through Friday 40 hours per week which can be flexible around the interns schedule.

Applications close on Monday June 30th at 11:59 pm ET.

Does this sound like you If so we want to hear from you.

NPR is an Equal Opportunity Employer. NPR is committed to being an inclusive workplace that welcomes diverse and unique perspectives all working toward the same goal to create a more informed public. Qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race color ethnicity national origin ancestry age religion religious belief sex (including pregnancy childbirth and related medical conditions lactation and reproductive health decisions) sexual orientation gender gender identity or expression transgender status gender non-conforming status intersex status sexual stereotypes nationality citizenship status personal appearance marital status family status family responsibilities military status veteran status mental and physical disability medical condition genetic information genetic characteristics of yourself or a family member political views and affiliation unemployment status protective order status status as a victim of domestic violence sexual assault or stalking or any other basis prohibited under applicable law.

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