Outdoors Reporting Internship

The Seattle Times a Pulitzer Prize-winning news organization and one of the few remaining independent news organizations in the country is looking to hire an Outdoors reporting intern to lead our coverage of winter sports and the outdoors through early 2026.

Outdoors exploration is a way of life among Washingtonians and many of our readers spend their weekends and vacations enjoying the diversity of outdoors lands that the Pacific Northwest has to offer. From climbing and hiking to skiing snowboarding kayaking sailing mountain biking and mountaineering our readers are an adventurous bunch.

Were looking for an outdoors reporting intern whos equally adventurous both in their outdoor pursuits and in the way they approach the craft of journalism and how they look for stories. Ideally you possess a working understanding of and familiarity with the Pacific Northwests outdoors scene and have an interest in examining how the outdoors beat transcends typical go do stories about hikes to take or places to ski and to dig deeper into how outdoors issues relate to business the environment the economy government public policy equity and social movements.

This is a 13-week internship that will run from Dec. 29 2025 through March 29 2026. It is aimed specifically at college students who are enrolled in four-year colleges and universities in the Pacific Northwest that are on the term/trimester system. The dates of the internship loosely dovetail with most winter term dates of colleges that are on the trimester system.

Schedule: Work schedule will vary based on coverage needs. Some travel and occasional night and weekend work is to be expected.40-hours per week. Based in Seattle.

Responsibilities:

• Keep a finger on the pulse of stories and issues that are trending timely and worth examining as relates to the local outdoors industry outdoor recreation outdoors activities and outdoors lands in the state of Washington. Given the time frame of the internship this reporter would be tasked with working with an editor to direct our winter sports coverage for the 2025-26 season.
• Work the beat and develop a reliable network of diverse and knowledgeable sources within and around the outdoors industry in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest.
• Keep abreast of breaking news on the outdoors beat and be able to file stories quickly on deadline.
• Conceive pitch report and collaborate with photo graphics and video teams within our newsroom to write and produce balanced fair accurate and well-rounded outdoors stories and packages for online and print.
• Work with editors and producers to develop and write timely ambitious and thought-provoking stories about the outdoors industry and various outdoors activities in the greater Puget Sound area.
• Ability to frame stories to appeal to outdoors enthusiasts as well as general readers who may never lace up a hiking boot.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of diversity and inclusivity in our outdoors coverage and constantly be on the lookout for underrepresented sources and diverse viewpoints.
• Use web analytics market research and listening tools like polls and Typeform to identify what our readers want to know about the outdoors and then design coverage to serve those needs. Also look to expand that audience by identifying unmet needs.
• Help guide the digital presentation and dissemination of outdoors stories to ensure they reach the broadest audience.
• Work with editors to help determine strategy for our outdoors coverage.

Qualifications
We are committed to diversity and creating an inclusive newsroom and encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply.If your profile doesnt match this job description exactly you may still be a candidate for this position. Please let us know how your skills and experience relate to the role and its objectives in your cover letter.

• Some reporting experience at either a college or professional newsroom.
• Applicants must be juniors seniors or graduate students attending a four-year college or university. Recent graduates (spring 2025 or later) are also eligible to apply.
• Applicants must be journalism majors or have a demonstrated commitment to print or online journalism possess social media skills and be digitally astute.
• Internship experience at other news organizations is strongly preferred.
• Applicants should have strong reporting writing and multimedia skills.
• Applicants should have interest in and some specialized knowledge of outdoors and/or public lands in winter sports especially as pertains to outdoors activities within the Pacific Northwest outdoors scene and/or travel reporting is a bonus.
• Applicants must have a personal vehicle available to use for the duration of the internship.

Application Instructions

1. Complete and submit your application below. We will only accept applications submitted through this page applications mailed via USPS as well as emails and calls will not be considered.
2. When attaching your resume and cover letter please use the following naming convention: Internship-Document-ApplicantName. Example: Features-CoverLetter-JohnDoe.
3. Submit three references familiar with your work (with at least one reference being a current or former manager or supervisor).
4. Include five samples of your reporting work which include samples that demonstrate deep reporting and showcase your skills. No more than five samples are allowed. Please collect any content and include this as one file with any associated links included being accessible and not behind a paywall.
5. Deadline: submit your application package by Thursday November 20 at 5 p.m. PT.
6. Confirmation: You will be notified once your application has been received. Check your file size before submitting. You will not receive a confirmation email if your file size exceeds the 10MB limit.

Compensation: The pay for this position is $21.30 per hour.

Benefits:

• Employee assistance program
• Paid holidays
• Public transit subsidy
• Complimentary Seattle Times subscription

Please do not follow up about your application. We will notify all applicants about our decision after the deadline which may take up to six weeks. For application assistance only send questions to emailprotected. Requests for updates will not be answered.

Founded in 1896 The Seattle Times continues its tradition as a family-owned Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper that cuts through the clutter and provides readers with timely relevant news. We serve the Pacific Northwest with thoughtful independent journalism that makes a real difference in our community. And as a media solutions company we combine cutting-edge digital capabilities and service with the values and integrity of respected traditional media with an established audience of 1.9 million. At The Seattle Times youll find work that matters.

If you need assistance to accommodate a disability please contact Human Resources at and provide a description of the reasonable accommodation(s) needed.