Landing a Dream Internship: Your Guide to the Miami Herald Internship Program

The Miami Herald, a Pulitzer Prize-winning news organization, offers outstanding internship opportunities for aspiring journalists. Getting your foot in the door through an internship at the Miami Herald can be a significant stepping stone in your journalism career. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the internship programs available, focusing on requirements, application procedures, and what you can expect from the experience.

Opportunities at the Miami Herald

The Miami Herald provides interns with invaluable hands-on experience in a dynamic news environment. Interns don't need world-shaking events to play a major role at the Miami Herald. There’s plenty of news to go around in their assignments on our investigative, visual, business, government, sports, public service, education and health teams.

The McClatchy Summer News Internship Program

The McClatchy Summer News Internship Program offers 10-week, paid opportunities to more than 70 students and recent graduates in various areas of news across the country, including at the Miami Herald, Kansas City Star and the Sacramento Bee. This program is designed to integrate interns fully into the newsroom team, providing them with mentorship, personalized coaching, and training alongside seasoned reporters and editors.

Interns will gain hands-on experience in roles such as reporter, visual storyteller, opinion writer or audience/digital media specialist and will be integrated into the team as full-fledged members of the newsroom. Each intern will gain mentorship, personalized coaching and training, as well as a chance to work alongside some of the best local reporters and editors in the business. The program also includes weekly skills training sessions and networking opportunities.

What to Expect as an Intern

As an intern at the Miami Herald, you’ll hold politicians accountable, answer questions for your local readers, make the video of a place no one else can go to. You’ll break the news and explain the issues. You may even take part in Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage. You'll be in paradise with one of the best jobs in journalism. You will be expected to contribute meaningfully to the newsroom, covering a wide range of topics and potentially participating in significant news events.

Read also: A Colorful Legacy: Miami Football

Real-World Experience

Interns at the Miami Herald are given real responsibilities and opportunities to make a difference. For instance, when a gunman shot 49 people dead at a Florida nightclub, a group of just-arrived interns went to work. They didn’t even get computer training yet, but were off and running to identify the victims and tell their stories. And when a high-rise condo collapsed in the middle of the night in Surfside, interns went to the scene each day and got answers.

A Supportive Environment

The Miami Herald and the broader McClatchy organization are committed to providing a supportive environment for interns. Interns will participate in weekly training sessions and will be assigned a senior-level mentor. This mentorship provides coaching, professional guidance, and networking opportunities. Many former interns have gone on to secure full-time positions within the company, highlighting the value and impact of the internship program.

Eligibility and Requirements

To be eligible for an internship at the Miami Herald, candidates should be determined, curious self-starters with a demonstrated passion about local journalism and eagerness to pursue a career in news. Specific requirements may vary depending on the specific internship, but generally include:

A persuasive cover letter
Four to six samples of your work for writers, artists, and designers; 20 images for photographers, five videos from videographers
The names of three references we can contact and ways to contact them.
Interns must pass a drug test.

How to Apply

To apply for an internship at the Miami Herald, follow these steps:

Visit the McClatchy careers page.
Enter the keyword “intern” to find the full list of summer internship opportunities across our 30 markets.
Select the link to the internship at the market(s) you’d like to be considered for. You may apply to more than one market.
Prepare a compelling application package, including a cover letter, resume, work samples, and references.

WLRN News Internship Program

WLRN News is seeking talented journalists to join us for our spring and summer 2026 internships. WLRN News is a daily broadcast news operation providing multimedia news, storytelling and analysis for WLRN 91.3 FM, 91.5 FM in the Florida Keys, 101.9 in the Palm Beaches, 105.5 WOLL HD-2 in Hobe Sound, WLRN.org, social media and podcasts.

Responsibilities

That means, in this position, you’ll be pitching, reporting and producing stories for our radio newscasts, public affairs programs and WLRN.org. In recent years, our interns have assisted with coverage of some of the biggest news stories in the region, including the 2018 Parkland school shooting, the 2021 condominium collapse in Surfside, elections and hurricanes.

Compensation and Benefits

Full-time interns work 40 hours per week, while part-time interns work 20 hours per week. The total internship period is 12 weeks, at a pay rate of $16 per hour. Interns will be provided with audio recording equipment they may keep at the successful conclusion of their internship.

Application Timeline

Selections will be made by the end of the year.

Tips for a Successful Application

Highlight Relevant Experience: Showcase any previous journalism experience, including work on school newspapers, freelance writing, or related projects.
Demonstrate Passion: Express your genuine interest in local journalism and your eagerness to learn and contribute to the Miami Herald.
Tailor Your Application: Customize your cover letter and work samples to align with the specific requirements and focus of the internship.
Proofread Carefully: Ensure your application is free of errors and presents you in the best possible light.

tags: #miami #herald #internship #requirements