Chicago Public Radio Internships

Paid Internship: News Cast Unit (Fall)

News Cast interns receive mentoring and training from editors, anchors, reporters, and news producers to help generate material for “drive time” local newscasts. This internship will provide hands-on experience in a fast paced, major market newsroom, and help interns cultivate skills for a job in broadcast journalism.

Interns will have the opportunity to cover press conferences, write spot news scripts, and gather audio that will be broadcast during our morning and afternoon local newscasts. Interns will also be involved with researching, contacting news sources, fact checking, as well as posting news content to the Web site. As part of their final project, interns will have to opportunity to produce a news feature.

This is a four month internship, interns will work 35-40 hours a week. A stipend of $5000 is funded by a generous grant from The Davee Foundation.

You can download the application for this paid internship here.

Paid Internship: Eight Forty Eight (Fall)

Eight Forty-Eight interns are involved in all facets of producing the daily news magazine. The goal is to provide interns with a hands-on experience on a daily talk radio program, helping them cultivate skills for a job in the broadcast field.

Intern tasks include: assisting in the conception of program segments, booking guests for segments, researching information, gathering audio tape, digitally editing segments, creating program rundowns, assisting the director during the live broadcast, and making audio copies of stories and shows for guests.

This is a four month internship, interns will work 35-40 hours a week. A stipend of $5000 is funded by a generous grant from The Davee Foundation.

You can download the application for this paid internship here.

Vocalo.org Production Intern

Vocalo.org is a new interactive web community and radio station serving the Lake Michigan region. The broadcast day combines short, listener-generated talk and music pieces with commercial music and audio created by staff producers who also act as on-air hosts.

This innovative format rejects set shows in favor of an ever-changing line-up of short pieces that are also available on-demand at the website. It creates a broadcast day with a fast-paced, eclectic mix of content to satisfy a broad audience.

The goal of this project is to spark entertaining conversations between people in our broadcast area using both on-air and online communication tools. We do this in an environment where communities have become increasingly fragmented and isolated.

Get a feel for the Vocalo sound - check out www.vocalo.org

The primary focus of the Vocalo Production intern is to edit and prepare audio files for air and the website on Vocalo.org. Production interns will learn how to record, edit and mix. They will edit air-checks, help select listener-generated content for on air broadcast, act as a live correspondent in the field for on-air shifts, and edit raw audio/video collected from our communities. They may collaborate with specific listeners to actualize their projects. Interns will also help find new sources of material and may assist in finding content elsewhere by contacting content creators to upload to Vocalo.org.

Research Intern: Chicago Matters Series

Chicago Matters is an annual multi-media public information series. In partnership with WTTW TV, the Chicago Public Library, and The Chicago Reporter.

The topic for 2008 is sustainability and regional development. Interns will work closely with producers to gather background materials and research story ideas for the series. Interns will also play an active role in helping to organize any community forums or public events related to the series, and in other promotional/outreach activities.

Responsibilities will include: researching stories, fact checking, and daily administrative and organizational tasks, including posting of content on the series Web site. There will be opportunities to work with reporters and producers on gathering sound and editing audio for series features.

Interns should have research skills and be comfortable using Microsoft Excel. Strong organizational skills and an interest in environmental issues and their impact on local communities a plus. Students enrolled in an Urban Planning program are strongly encouraged to apply.

A $2000 stipend is paid for by a generous grant from The Chicago Community Trust.

Deadlines for this Internship

Spring Internship: Mid March 2008 – May 2008
• (application deadline Feb 22nd)

Summer Internship: June 2008 – August 2008
• (application deadline April 11th)

Fall Internship: September 2008 – November 2008
• (application deadline April 11th)

Interns must be available 15-20 hours a week.

Public Affairs: City Room

Description of internship
City Room interns, will work closely with reporters and producers to cover a wide range of local issues: from Art’s and culture, religion, urban issues, and city politics. The internship will provide hands-on experience in a major market news room, and help interns cultivate skills for a job in broadcast journalism or other media.

Responsibilities will include: researching stories, fact checking, writing news copy, and posting content to the Web site. Interns will also work with reporters on gathering sound and editing audio for news features. Interns are also encouraged to pitch story ideas.

Brief description of qualifications
Ideal candidates have some form of journalism experience, (intern candidates with print journalism backgrounds are encouraged to apply), strong writing skills, a passion for news and covering Chicago and the region. Experience with audio editing software a huge plus.

Internship duration
Three days a week for three months, with an option to renew for three additional months.