When: October 11-12
Where: 138 Andersen Hall
Intern Coordinator, Jeannie Roberts, will be coming to interview students. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is the state's largest newspaper and based in Little Rock. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette has a daily circulation of 182,463 and a Sunday circulation of 260,813. The paper offers summer internships on city, state, business, features, and copy desks.
The paper's ideal candidates are journalism majors with previous internship experience and/or have worked at their campus news outlets. Seniors or recent graduates are preferred, but exceptional juniors and sophomores have been hired in the past.
Please sign up for a 30 minute interview time slot with this link to a Google spreadsheet.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IoF-ImyHiaDFzpvmSLtPOwmw69fSgBBNHiS7iGVmNbA/edit?usp=sharing
About the Internship:
Interns receive fast-paced, real-world news experience with strong clips to show for their season with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Our interns are challenged to rise to the highest bar of journalistic excellence and their bylines are frequently seen on 1A and section fronts.
We are the state’s largest newspaper and are based in Little Rock. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette has a daily circulation of 182,463 and a Sunday circulation of 260,813.
Interns are carefully selected from hundreds of applicants from around the nation to fill 12-week summer spots on our city, state, business, features and copy desks, as well as two six-month spring and fall digital internships at Arkansas Online.
Do you have what it takes?
• We like them smart and experienced! Are you a college junior or senior, graduate student, or recent college graduate? Have you completed previous internships?
• How do you rate as a human being? Character matters. Integrity in reporting is non-negotiable. So is a healthy work ethic.
• Speak up! We are crazy about interns with gumption and excitement. Do you have a gazillion story ideas running around in your head? Is the word “boredom” non-existent in your vocabulary?
Is there a better way to approach a story subject? Tell us about it!
• Safety first. Are you drug free and have a clean driving record? A drug test and drivers-license check will be performed prior to your first day on the job.
• Do you know the difference between affect and effect? Grammar and spelling as well as knowing your Associated Press style are as important as good writing skills and an attention to accuracy.
What’s in it for you?
• Our bar is high and the challenge is great, but the returns are worth it. The chosen candidate hits the ground running on their first day in the newsroom. They are treated the same way as our staff reporters and end the summer with their portfolios chock full of strong stories.
• Our editors work closely with the interns. Stories are edited with the intern by their side for a strong learning experience. Editors are there to give you juicy assignments, talk through your story ideas and guide you through to the final product.
• Interns are purposely seated next to seasoned reporters so they have a built-in mentor the day they arrive. There are no cubicles in our newsroom and we have plenty of award-winning reporters’ brains to pick.
• An intern coordinator acts as your advocate and is a compulsive scheduler. She sets up weekly summer workshops paneled with masters in the field — and free food!
• Oh, and interns get a paycheck every two weeks.
The pay rate is $12.50 per hour on a 40-hour week.
Schedules vary according to the position.
The fine print
• Housing must be established prior to the beginning of your internship. We have a list of available short-term rentals in the area and will be glad to assist you in the search.
• Vehicles are required as well as that clean driving record we mentioned above.
Throwing your hat in the ring
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette takes applications through October every year for the following summer's paid internships. Arkansas Online accepts applications through October for the spring internship and through May for the fall internship.
The earlier the better!
Your application packet should include:
• Cover letter telling us why you should be chosen, your strengths, experience and what you want from an internship.
• Resume.
• Clips that reflect your best work.
• Three references, which should include professional journalists. Please provide telephone numbers and email addresses. Reference letters are also accepted.
Bundle it all up and send it to:
Jeannie Roberts
Intern Coordinator
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
P.O. Box 2221
Little Rock, AR 72203
E-mail: jroberts@arkansasonline.com
If you need to practice interviewing or need your resume looked over, please make an appointment with Courtney Pearson, career development specialist, in MyPlan. If you have any questions, please contact Courtney at cpearson5@unl.edu or stop by during her office hours between 9am-4pm. Her office is located in 107 Andersen.