Landing a Journalism Internship in Los Angeles: A Comprehensive Guide

Los Angeles, a vibrant hub for media and entertainment, offers numerous journalism internship opportunities. These internships provide invaluable experience for aspiring journalists, allowing them to hone their skills, build their portfolios, and network with industry professionals. This comprehensive guide outlines the requirements, opportunities, and application tips for journalism internships in the Los Angeles area.

General Eligibility and Requirements

Before diving into specific internships, it's essential to understand the general eligibility and requirements. Most internships require applicants to be actively enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program. Some programs may consider recent graduates (typically within six months of graduation).

Eligibility to work in the United States is a must, and many internships require students to receive college credit for their participation. Class status is also important; many internships are geared towards junior or senior-level students.

Diverse Internship Opportunities in Los Angeles

Los Angeles boasts a wide array of journalism internships across various media outlets and organizations. Here's a detailed look at some of the opportunities available:

Television and Broadcast Media

KTTV FOX 11/KCOP MyNetwork TV: This internship promotes diversity and community involvement. It requires a 12-15 hour commitment per week, and while previous experience and a related course of study are preferred, they are not mandatory. The internship includes a $1,000 stipend from the Asian American Journalists Association Los Angeles Chapter (AAJA).

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KNBC: AAJA Los Angeles selects a member for a 3-month internship at KNBC, which can be in areas like the Investigative Unit, Sports, Digital Channel, General Newsroom, or Community Relations. Intern duties involve assisting reporters, producers, and assignment desk managers. Applicants must receive school credit and be at least a junior in college. Basic knowledge of TV production and motivation are preferred.
ABC 7 Eyewitness News: In partnership with AAJA Los Angeles, ABC 7 offers a winter semester internship where the intern shadows editors, writers, producers, directors, and technical crews. College credit and junior or senior status are required.
KTLA Channel 5: A $1,000 stipend and an automatic placement as an AAJA Summer Intern at KTLA Channel 5 are awarded to one AAJA member.
KABC-TV (ABC7): Offering a Sports Production Internship, ABC7 provides experience with the Eyewitness News Sports Department. Responsibilities include attending production meetings, researching sports stories, assisting with interviews, and observing how sports segments are produced. Applications are made through the Disney Careers portal.
NBC 7 / Telemundo 20 San Diego: This paid Production Internship provides hands-on experience in a professional television news environment. Interns learn how live newscasts are created by working with industry-specific broadcast technologies and receiving direct training on automated control systems. Academic credit is not required, but candidates should be comfortable with Windows/PC environments and have a basic understanding of TV studio operations.

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NBC Sports Bay Area: The California Content Internship offers hands-on experience in producing on-air and digital sports content. Interns support daily programming through research, video and audio editing, news gathering, and marketing initiatives.
CBS Sports: The CBS Sports Production and Production Management Internships offer a full-time, on-site opportunity in New York City, immersing participants in live sports broadcasting.

Print and Digital Media

The Orange County Register: This newspaper seeks student members to apply for the AAJA Los Angeles internship, which starts mid-September. The selected intern works part-time (150 hours over 10 weeks). The Register is looking for reporters, photographers, page designers, copy editors, graphics artists, and journalists with Web, multimedia, and broadcast skills. Verbal fluency in a second language (especially Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, or Chinese) is preferred.
Los Angeles Times: The Los Angeles Times offers summer internships that allow interns to perform the work of full-time journalists. Interns work in various departments, including reporting, data and graphics, photo and video, multiplatform editing, design, and digital/engagement.
San Diego Union-Tribune: Offering a paid summer internship, the San Diego Union-Tribune provides hands-on experience covering major beats such as public safety, border issues, arts and entertainment, sports, and business.

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The San Francisco Standard: Hiring a paid Food Reporter Intern, this role focuses on reporting and writing news and feature stories about food, dining, and drinking culture in the Bay Area.
Mission Local: This nonprofit newsroom offers paid internships for aspiring journalists, focusing on issues affecting low-income communities and communities of color in San Francisco. Internship tracks include reporting, business, and coding/design.
McClatchy Internship Program: Interns work as full members of the newsroom in roles such as reporter, visual storyteller, opinion writer, or audience/digital media specialist. The program includes weekly skills workshops and networking opportunities.

Other Organizations and Agencies

Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts (LACSD): Offering a paid summer public relations internship, LACSD provides experience in public relations, media relations, social media, and community outreach, focusing on environmental services.
The Nature Conservancy (TNC): TNC offers a paid summer internship for a Marketing & Communications Coordinator, supporting its Western US and Canada Division. The intern assists with implementing communications strategies, coordinating marketing activations, and creating materials such as presentations and social media content.
Velera: Seeking a Communications & Engagement Intern, Velera focuses on strengthening client engagement and collaboration within its user community.
Fenton: This social justice-focused communications agency offers paid Summer Fellowships in Strategic/Earned Media or Digital Communications.
Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC): SPLC seeks a paid Video Production and Editing Intern to join its Creative team, developing compelling storytelling using original and stock footage.
Pew Research Center: The Pew Research Center offers a paid summer undergraduate internship for students interested in public opinion, journalism, and data-driven social science.
The Ad Council: The Ad Council offers a remote summer internship program with placements across multiple departments, providing hands-on experience and professional development opportunities.
Dow Jones News Fund: The Dow Jones News Fund internship program offers paid internships at top media companies, with training programs in areas like audience engagement, business reporting, data journalism, digital media, and multiplatform editing.
Young America’s Foundation (YAF): This program combines newsroom training, weekly seminars, and one-on-one guidance, placing interns in professional newsrooms.

Social Media and Digital Content Creation

Tinder: Tinder seeks a Communications Intern to support its AMER (Americas) marketing team, focusing on media monitoring, press tracking, and influencer collaborations.
Tower 28: This clean beauty brand offers internships in Influencer Marketing and Social Media Video Content, helping to strengthen its digital presence and brand storytelling.
e.l.f.: e.l.f. offers summer internships supporting social media strategy, content planning, campaign execution, and performance reporting across its portfolio of beauty brands.
SiriusXM: SiriusXM is seeking an intern to support content marketing efforts across its music and entertainment platforms.
J/PR: This PR agency offers a paid internship focusing on social media content creation, digital storytelling, and media monitoring.

Application Strategies and Tips

Securing a journalism internship in Los Angeles requires a well-crafted application that showcases your skills, experience, and passion for journalism. Here are some strategies and tips to make your application stand out:

Cover Letter and Personal Statement: The cover letter should highlight why you are the best candidate for the internship and demonstrate your knowledge of the organization. The personal essay should showcase your writing skills and commitment to journalism.
Work Samples: Provide a variety of work samples that demonstrate your range and skills. For reporting positions, include clips of breaking news, feature writing, and enterprise stories. Visual journalism and design interns should showcase variety in their portfolios. Data and Graphics interns should demonstrate their ability to use computers creatively and meet deadlines.
Highlight Relevant Skills: Emphasize any skills that align with the internship requirements, such as knowledge of TV production, verbal fluency in a second language, or experience with social media platforms.
Tailor Your Application: Customize your application for each internship, highlighting the skills and experiences that are most relevant to the specific role.
Meet the Deadlines: Pay close attention to application deadlines and submit your materials on time.
Seek Feedback: Before submitting your application, ask mentors, professors, or career advisors to review your materials and provide feedback.

Financial Considerations

Many journalism internships offer stipends or hourly wages to help cover living expenses. Here are some financial considerations to keep in mind:

Hourly Rate: The Los Angeles Times, for example, pays its interns at least $20 an hour.
Stipends: Some internships, such as the KTTV FOX 11/KCOP MyNetwork TV internship, offer a one-time stipend.
Housing: Some programs may offer fully funded housing scholarships.
Moving Costs: Be aware that some internships do not cover moving costs.

Timeline and Notification

The application and notification timelines vary depending on the organization. Generally, applications for summer internships open in the fall, with deadlines in November or December. Notifications for spring internships are typically sent out by March, while summer internship notifications are sent out by May.

Restrictions and Guidelines

It's important to be aware of any restrictions or guidelines associated with the internship. For example, some internships may prohibit outside work during the program.

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