For more than three decades The Nation Institute, in conjunction with The Nation magazine, has provided an internship program for early-career journalists interested in journalism and publishing.
The Nation Institute, a nonprofit media center, has a dynamic range of programs, including a bestselling book publishing imprint, Nation Books; an award-winning Investigative Fund which supports investigative journalism; Journalism Fellowships that support established and emerging reporters; the website TomDispatch; prize programs to support whistleblowing, journalism, and social justice; and this internship program with The Nation magazine.
The Nation is America's oldest continuously published weekly magazine and the most widely read journal of opinion. Founded by antislavery abolitionists in 1865, The Nation is a journal of politics, culture, books, and the arts. Historic contributors include W.E.B. Du Bois, Willa Cather, James Agee, Hannah Arendt, James Baldwin, Gore Vidal, Sylvia Plath, Martin Luther King Jr., Hunter S. Thompson, Lillian Hellman, Kurt Vonnegut, Edward Said, John Leonard, and Molly Ivins. The Nation's contemporary writers include Naomi Klein, Jeremy Scahill, John Nichols, Eric Foner, Patricia Williams, Katha Pollitt, Marilynne Robinson, William Deresiewicz, Eric Alterman, Walter Mosley, Ralph Nader, Melissa Harris-Perry, Christopher Hayes, Bill McKibben, Jessica Valenti, Dave Zirin, Katrina vanden Heuvel, and Calvin Trillin.
EDITORIAL INTERNSHIPS AT THE NATION
Seven editorial interns experience a comprehensive immersion into The Nation and TheNation.com’s editorial processes. These interns' primary responsibilities include fact-checking for the magazine and website, providing research support to Nation writers and editors, and assisting bloggers on TheNation.com. Interns are not expected to arrive with fact-checking or digital media experience and will be extensively trained in those areas, though a familiarity with The Nation and the range of issues we cover is essential. These interns are based in the magazine's New York City offices.
Toward the end of each internship session, one exemplary intern will be asked to stay on for an additional session as the Harriet and Perry Grover Digital Intern. This intern, who is compensated at a higher rate, will deepen his or her engagement with The Nation and TheNation.com's editorial processes and build on skills learned during the editorial internship.
One additional editorial internship position is available in The Nation's Washington D.C. office. This intern works closely with the magazine's Washington reporters, researching and fact-checking, as well as attending press conferences and Congressional hearings.
EDITORIAL INTERNSHIPS AT THE NATION INSTITUTE
We also offer two internship positions at the non-profit Nation Institute.
One intern works primarily with Nation Books, a project of the Nation Institute and an imprint of the Perseus Books Group. The imprint’s mission is to produce authoritative books that break new ground and shed light on current social and political issues. The intern will gain hands-on experience and learn many of the ins and outs of the publishing industry. Primary tasks include: reviewing book proposals, taking part in production meetings, providing editorial assistance, as well as assisting with social media and blogging.
The Don and Doris Shaffer Intern is dedicated to working with the Institute's Investigative Fund, assisting in the creation and distribution of long-form investigative pieces that appear in a wide variety of media outlets. This intern will conduct research for reporters and editors, do in-depth fact-checking, and assist with push-out on stories. This internship position is a more advanced assignment; it requires reporting, fact-checking, or research experience and is compensated at a higher rate. There are only two sessions offered for this position annually: Winter/Spring and Summer/Fall.
Both of these interns also occasionally work on Institute-related projects and will be based at the Institute’s New York City offices.
All interns participate in educational seminars with journalists, academics, and activists who come by our offices to speak to interns about their work. Recent guests have included Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Eric Foner, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, Nation Institute fellow Sharif Abdel Kouddous, Nation contributing editor Dana Goldstein, and senior editor of The Atlantic Ta-Nehisi Coates. Interns are encouraged to suggest people they would like to come in and speak with the group.
The internship is full time, five days a week.
Compensation and Credit:
Interns are paid an hourly wage and provided an Unlimited Metrocard or equivalent reimbursement for interns who take other modes of transportation. Whenever possible, The Nation Institute will assist interns in arranging for academic or work-study credit. Housing and travel grants are available to those who need them in order to do the internship.
Application Procedure:
Please send a cover letter indicating your interest in The Nation and The Nation Institute and describing your career goals. Candidates should indicate which internship position—The Nation in New York or D.C., Nation Books, or the Investigative Fund—they would like to be considered for in their cover letter, or indicate that they would like to be considered for multiple positions. In addition, include a resume, two letters of recommendation (at least one non-academic), and one writing sample. Letters may be mailed directly by recommenders, or may be included with the rest of your application materials. For writing samples, published clips are preferred, though academic papers and creative writing samples are acceptable (no longer than eight pages, please). Your application must be postmarked by the application deadline.
All application materials become the property of The Nation Institute. Please send your application to:
Kate Murphy
Internship Director
116 East 16th Street, 8th Floor
New York, NY 10003
Please address all queries to kate@thenation.com. No phone calls, please.
Summer 2015
Application deadline: March 2, 2015
Notification deadline: April 10, 2015
Program duration: June 2 - September 4, 2015
Fall 2015
Application deadline: June 26, 2015
Notification deadline: August 1, 2015
Program duration: September 1 - December 18, 2015
*Note: The Don and Doris Shaffer internship position with the Nation Institute's Investigative Fund is only offered from January 2 - June 5, 2015 or June 2 -December 18, 2015.
The Nation Institute is an equal-opportunity employer.