EDITORIAL INTERN (SF/DC)
As part of the Mother Jones editorial team interns receive training and hands-on experience in fact-checking, research, and reporting, in addition to a firsthand look at the production of an award-winning national magazine and website. Interns' primary focus is fact-checking magazine articles and doing research for upcoming issues, but they are also expected to pitch story ideas for the magazine and for MotherJones.com. Interns are also expected to contribute regularly to our blogs and assist in online publishing.
The editorial internship lasts six months, with cycles beginning in June and December. Interns will work on three issues of the print magazine and on the daily operations of MotherJones.com. The research team, consisting of 6-10 interns and fellows, works under the supervision of the research editor on all research, fact-checking, and fact-finding projects in assisting editors and writers. This is a full-time position based in San Francisco or Washington, DC, that pays a $1,000 stipend per month, supported by a grant from the Irving Harris Foundation. At the end of their cycle, interns can apply to stay on for an additional six months as fellows.
Internships are full time, five days a week. Some late hours may be required during bimonthly ship cycles. Internships last six months (no exceptions) and editorial interns receive the same vacation as Mother Jones employees—seven days per cycle.
Duties
- Fact-check several articles in each issue. This involves calling sources, locating primary documents, evaluating information, and working closely with the research editor, story editors, and writers
- Fact-check online articles under tight deadlines
- Conduct research in support of articles and special projects published in the magazine and on the site
- Contribute content to our blogs
- Occasionally pitch story ideas and write short pieces. This includes sidebars and boxes for the magazine and short features for the website
- Attend editorial and Web meetings as well as trainings and seminars on various topics
- Code stories in HTML for website
- Other projects as assigned by the research editor
Desired Skill Set
- Excellent writing ability, preferably demonstrated via published media outlets
- Experience and desire to pursue complex research and fact-checking projects
- Online blogging and multimedia skills
- Exceptional attention to detail
- A knack for distilling information quickly
- The ability to work as part of a team and in a fast-paced, unpredictable work environment