Fall 2026 Communications Intern

CTR BUDGET POLICY • Washington, DC

2h • Hybrid

About The Position

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) is a high-caliber strategic policy institute that informs and shapes public policies to reduce poverty, promote equity, and build opportunity. It has a national reputation for conducting rigorous research and analysis, developing evidence-based policy ideas and strategies, shaping a broad array of policy debates at the federal and state levels, and influencing policy outcomes on a range of critical issues. It focuses on improving the lives of people with low or moderate incomes and examines how policies affect particular groups, including Black, Indigenous, and other people of color; immigrants; people with disabilities; and LGBTQ+ people. CBPP is known for its unique capacity to blend rigorous, timely analysis with effective communications that enable policymakers and the media to make use of its work.

The Communications team seeks to inform state and federal policy debates by disseminating CBPP reports and analyses to the news media. Framing research into a clear message for public consumption is a complex process. The Communications Intern will assist in all stages of this process, including but not limited to tracking media coverage, updating and maintaining contact lists, distributing CBPP publications, drafting weekly blog posts summarizing CBPP’s work, and helping CBPP engage in social/new media.

Requirements

• Demonstrated interest in media work, journalism, and/or web or digital communications and interest in observing a wide variety of policy issues and activities.
• Strong research skills and effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work well independently and develop a general understanding of CBPP’s research areas.
• Current undergraduate students, graduate students, or recent graduates.
• Major or coursework in Communications, Government Relations/Political Science, Journalism, English, Public Relations, etc.
• Must have documentation of work authorization for the U.S. AND a U.S. Social Security number, as of the start date of the internship, to be employed by CBPP.

Nice To Haves

• Commitment to CBPP’s mission to improve the well-being of low- and moderate-income people and advance racial equity.
• Highly motivated candidates — particularly those with experience with communities that are underrepresented in policy debates — with a demonstrated interest in working on public policies that affect low-income and diverse communities and have implications for racial equity.

Responsibilities

• Tracking media coverage
• Updating and maintaining contact lists
• Distributing CBPP publications
• Drafting weekly blog posts summarizing CBPP’s work
• Helping CBPP engage in social/new media

Benefits

• Undergraduate students receive $18.00 per hour.
• Students with a bachelor's degree receive $19.00 per hour.
• Graduate students receive $20.00 per hour.
• Students with a master’s or law degree receive $21.00 per hour.
• Doctoral students may receive between $20.00 and $22.00 per hour, depending on progress toward completion of degree requirements, relevant coursework, and research.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: Associate degree