Engagement Journalism Intern

Chicago Public Media•Chicago, IL

7d•Onsite

About The Position

The Engaged Journalism Team works with both WBEZ and Chicago Sun-Times journalists to imbue a community-first approach to our work. At Chicago Public Media, we define “engaged journalism” as a process that starts by identifying and listening to specific communities before any reporting and production. That community input informs what we cover, what we make and how we make it. Our Engaged Journalism Team strives to provide practical, actionable utility to the people we serve. We work to rebuild trust in communities by meeting our audiences where they are. The Engaged Journalism Team Intern will learn the principles, strategies and tactics that underpin our work. They will help us reach out to communities, develop creative ways of listening and gathering input from them, and using that input to shape our journalism. This could include in-person outreach at events and in neighborhoods; digital outreach in the form of surveys and social media; and analogue outreach, such as writing letters to incarcerated people as part of our Prisoncast! project. The internship also will involve updating and maintaining the administrative systems and database that form the backbone of our team. The ideal candidate is passionate about producing journalism and tools that serve communities across Chicagoland. They’re comfortable talking with strangers, and getting strangers to get comfortable with them. They are creative, highly organized and self-driven. They are willing to learn from experienced newsroom reporters, producers and editors. A bit about our internship programs: Many, but not all, of our interns have completed college or some other form of education and/or certification in the journalism or media field(s). Many go on to careers in public media or other outlets. Many have found their way back to WBEZ, too. We pay $20/hour, non-negotiable Positions are daytime work hours on a Monday through Friday schedule, though some flexibility may be possible Interns work full time 40 hrs/week Program term is 12 weeks (June 9, 2026 - September 10, 2026)

Requirements

Knowledge about WBEZ and our mission of serving the community
Strong interest in learning and contributing to our mission
Curiosity and the willingness to learn
Understanding of the value of bringing together diverse perspectives
Why WBEZ is part of your career planning in journalism and media
Specific skills you want to learn during the internship

Nice To Haves

Links to a portfolio of writing samples; audio, video, or multimedia packages; or other completed work that may be relevant to this opening

Responsibilities

Reach out to communities
Develop creative ways of listening and gathering input from them
Using that input to shape our journalism
In-person outreach at events and in neighborhoods
Digital outreach in the form of surveys and social media
Analogue outreach, such as writing letters to incarcerated people as part of our Prisoncast! project
Updating and maintaining the administrative systems and database that form the backbone of our team