WGAL News Intern - 2027 Spring

Hearst•Lancaster, PA

About The Position

WGAL-TV, the NBC affiliate in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, offers paid internships in its News department. Applicants should submit a cover letter with their application and may include relevant attachments such as writing samples or reels. The cover letter should state the preferred department, available start and end dates, days and hours available, objectives for the internship, and strongest areas of interest. Newsroom interns spend 10–12 weeks shadowing and gaining experience in assignment desk work, TV news production, digital news production, and photography and logistics. Depending on mutual availability and academic schedules and requirements, internships may consist of 24 hours per week. Sports interns develop experience writing scripts for daily sportscasts, researching team and player statistics, and pitching story ideas. Applicants should be knowledgeable about local and national college and professional sports and able to discuss current sports topics. Interns may accompany reporters on location shoots, though this is not guaranteed. Scheduling is based on mutual availability and academic schedules and requirements; internships may consist of 24 hours per week. Weather internships require candidates to be enrolled in a meteorology curriculum or a closely related program. The internship emphasizes analysis and forecasting, followed by storytelling and graphics production. Interns learn to analyze weather charts and models, prepare forecasts and graphics, gather and relay weather information, research statistics, practice forecast delivery in the studio, and assist with social media and email communications. Scheduling is based on mutual availability and academic schedules and requirements; internships may consist of 24 hours per week. Hearst Television describes its values as telling stories about people of all backgrounds, perspectives, and identities and fostering collaboration and open communication so its content is authentic, accurate, and connected to the communities it serves.

Requirements

Submit a cover letter stating department preference, available start and end dates, days and hours available, internship objectives, and strongest areas of interest.
Sports interns must be well versed in local and national college and professional sports and able to converse about current sports topics.
Sports interns should have working knowledge of local professional teams, including managers, head coaches, and star players, and be conversational about major national sports stories and events.
Weather internship candidates must be enrolled in a meteorology curriculum or a closely related program of study.

Nice To Haves

Applicants may include relevant attachments such as writing samples or reels.

Responsibilities

Assist assignment desk team members in gathering news and information, including taking and placing calls with reporters, sources, government agencies, and the public.
Assist with research and other assignment desk tasks.
Practice writing and formatting scripts for broadcast.
Research and write content for WGAL digital platforms, including the WGAL app, WGAL.com, and social media platforms.
When appropriate, assist with photo and video production for digital platforms.
Assist photographers and logistics team members with field work and news gathering.
For sports internships, write scripts for daily sportscasts, research team and player statistics, and pitch story ideas to the sports department.
For weather internships, analyze weather charts and models, prepare daily forecasts, produce weather graphics, and gather critical and breaking weather information and data.
For weather internships, relay information to and from News, the Assignment Desk, and the Web; research statistical data; practice forecast delivery in-studio; and assist with social media and email communication.