If you’re a high school student thinking about a career in journalism, getting hands-on experience early can give you a huge advantage. Journalism programs help you develop real-world skills like interviewing, fact-checking, multimedia production, and data analysis. You’ll learn how to tell compelling stories, investigate important issues, and produce content for different platforms like news websites, podcasts, and videos.
These paid programs also connect you with experienced journalists who mentor you through practical projects, so you’ll work on articles, videos, or podcasts. Some programs also let you publish your work, helping you build a portfolio early on.
In this blog, we’ve rounded up 8 paid journalism programs for high school students. (Please note that while some programs offer a stipend, others are free to participate)
8 Paid Journalism Programs for High School Students
1. Student Voice Journalism Fellowship
Cost: Students receive a stipend of $1000
Location: Across different schools
Application Deadline: Rolling. You can fill out this form to get more information about the program.
Program Dates: August
Eligibility: High school students
If you’re passionate about educational equity and want to use your voice to make an impact, the Student Voice Journalism Fellows program is a great way to start. This program helps you build strong storytelling skills and teaches you how to shape narratives around important educational issues.
As a fellow, you’ll develop practical skills like writing, interviewing, and research. You’ll learn how to pitch story ideas, write clear and engaging articles, and edit your work for accuracy and impact. You’ll work with other students to produce well-researched pieces focused on education.
2. LA Times HS Insider Internship
Cost: Free, students receive a stipend of $16.90 per hour
Location: Hybrid (Offline office is in El Segundo, California)
Application Deadline: February 26
Program Dates: June 16-August 1
Eligibility: High school students residing in Los Angeles County or Orange County, California, who can commit to working in the El Segundo office, are eligible to apply.
The L.A. Times High School Insider youth journalism internship helps you build essential journalism skills and gain exposure to a professional newsroom environment. You will learn how to report on breaking news, explore multimedia storytelling, and develop compelling stories with guidance from experienced journalists.
Over seven weeks, you will work closely with mentors to research and develop stories, supported by training sessions and workshops led by L.A. Times staff. You will practice reaching out to potential sources through email, text, and social media, schedule and conduct interviews, and draft a feature enterprise story with multimedia components.
3. CLARIFY News Reporting Internship
Cost: Free, with a $500 stipend
Location: New York
Application Deadline: Summer: May 24; Fall: September 9 (Based on previous year’s dates)
Program Dates: The fall program starts typically on October 14
Eligibility: Open to rising juniors and seniors. Applicants must reside in New York.
City Limits’ CLARIFY Program is an investigative journalism internship focused on public service reporting. As New York City’s longest-running nonprofit investigative news agency, City Limits provides hands-on training in essential journalism skills, including research, interviewing, investigative techniques, media ethics, and photojournalism.
You will work closely with City Limits to produce locally focused news stories, highlighting issues affecting underrepresented communities in New York City. You will gain experience identifying story ideas, conducting in-depth interviews, and developing well-researched articles. In the past, participants have covered topics like New York’s labor strikes, climate issues, and workers’ rights.
4. Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference
Cost: Students receive a scholarship of $1,000
Location: Washington, D.C
Application Deadline: March 23
Program Dates: June 22–27
Eligibility: High school juniors
The Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference is a five-day, fully funded program in Washington, D.C., for high school juniors interested in journalism and the First Amendment. The program selects one student from each state and the District of Columbia and offers opportunities to learn about the role of a free press in democracy through discussions with journalists, newsroom visits, and interactive workshops.
You will participate in sessions on media ethics, reporting challenges, and storytelling, and engage with professionals in the field. You will develop a deeper understanding of journalism’s impact on society and build connections with peers who share your interests.
5. The Bell’s Journalism Internship
Cost: Students receive a stipend of up to $1,000
Location: New York City
Application Deadline: November 3
Program Dates: Varies based on role. Write to them here to know the exact dates.
Eligibility: Current NYC public or charter high school students
The Bell Journalism Internship provides paid opportunities for New York City public high school students. You’ll learn the fundamentals of audio journalism, developing key skills like conducting interviews, script writing, audio recording, editing with tools like Audacity, and marketing through social media and podcast promotion.
You’ll work closely with industry professionals, gaining mentorship and valuable insight into careers in journalism and media. Throughout the program, you’ll contribute to producing stories for Miseducation and P.S. Weekly, The Bell’s student-driven podcasts, building a strong portfolio of published work.
6. The Princeton Summer Journalism Program
Cost: While the program doesn’t offer a stipend, it is free.
Location: Hybrid (Virtual + Princeton Campus)
Application Deadline: February 24
Program Dates: Between July to early August
Eligibility: High school juniors from low-income backgrounds.
The Princeton Summer Journalism Program (PSJP) is a year-long course designed for high-achieving high school juniors from low-income backgrounds who are interested in political journalism. You’ll engage in discussions on politics and current affairs, attend lectures from Princeton professors and professional journalists, and receive guidance from college advisors.
The program features weekly workshops led by program alumni and journalists from publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, New York Magazine, The Daily Beast, Politico, and CNN. You’ll also gain hands-on experience in news writing, reporting, and media ethics while preparing for the college application process.
7. AAJA’s JCamp
Cost: Fully funded
Location: Washington, D.C
Application Deadline: January 31
Program Dates: July 26-August 1
Eligibility: Open to high school juniors and sophomores
AAJA’s JCamp is a six-day journalism training program designed for high school students from diverse backgrounds. Organized by the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA), the program provides hands-on training in various forms of media, including broadcasting, newspaper reporting, magazine writing, online journalism, and photojournalism.
You’ll work closely with veteran journalists and media executives, producing multimedia content for the program’s news site. The curriculum includes interactive workshops, mentorship sessions, and field reporting, allowing you to develop essential journalism skills.
8. NYU Urban Journalism Workshop
Cost: Free
Location: New York University, New York, NY
Application Deadline: February 15
Program Dates: July 13-19
Eligibility: Open to high school juniors and seniors in the NYC metropolitan area; applicants must be at least 16 years old
The NYU Urban Journalism Workshop is a 10-day summer program designed to introduce high school students to core journalism skills, with an emphasis on multimedia reporting. You’ll get to stay in NYU housing and take part in hands-on workshops led by NYU faculty and professional journalists.
The program covers essential topics such as news writing, interviewing, and multimedia production, while also encouraging you to report on underrepresented communities and explore diverse perspectives in media. Open to high school juniors and seniors in the NYC metropolitan area, this free program provides an immersive experience in journalism and storytelling.
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like journalism, writing, and media, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs! This is a selective virtual research program that lets you engage in advanced research and develop a research paper on a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1000+ high school students so far and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from. You can find the application link here!
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