If you’re a high school student who loves writing, asking questions, or telling stories that matter, journalism internships give you a chance to see how the media world really works. Instead of just writing for school assignments, you get to practice real reporting—interviewing sources, researching topics, editing drafts, and publishing work with purpose. It’s one of the best ways to test whether journalism or media could be the right path for you.
What Journalism Internships Actually Teach You
Whether hosted by universities, news organizations, or remote platforms, journalism internships help you build a strong portfolio and gain confidence in your storytelling abilities. If you’re still exploring media-related opportunities, you might also want to check out our Horizon blog on creative writing summer camps for high school students.
14 Journalism Internships for High School Students
1. L.A. Times High School Insider Summer Internship
Location: Hybrid; 3 days/week at LA Times, El Segundo, CA
Cost | Stipend: Free | $16.90/hour
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly selective with a small cohort of interns
Program Dates: June 16 – August 1
Application Deadline: February 26
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors from Los Angeles County and Orange County, CA | Must be legally authorized to work in the U.S.
The L.A. Times High School Insider Summer Internship is a seven-week paid hybrid program for high school students from Southern California interested in journalism and media production. You’ll work 24 hours per week alongside professional reporters, learning how to research, interview, and craft feature and enterprise stories. The program includes mentorship, editorial feedback, and training in multimedia storytelling, covering skills like video production, podcast creation, and digital publishing. Throughout the internship, you’ll contribute original pieces to latimes.com/hsinsider and gain practical experience with newsroom workflows and deadlines. Interns are paid $16.90 per hour and must be available to work in the L.A. Times’ El Segundo office at least three times a week.
2. City Limits Accountability Reporting Initiative for Youth (CLARIFY) Program
Location: Summer interns meet daily at a mid-town location, with field trips and reporting assignments held throughout New York City | Fall sessions are held virtually, with some on-site field trips
Cost | Stipend: Free | Up to $2,000 for the summer internship and up to $500 for the fall internship
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly selective, with only a limited number of spots available
Program Dates: Summer sessions are 6 weeks in June – September | Fall sessions are 8 weeks long, starting from October 15 (tentative)
Application Deadline: Varies depending on cohort
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors attending a public or charter school in NYC; homeschooled students from NYC can also apply
CLARIFY is a paid journalism internship for New York City high school students interested in public service reporting. As an intern, you’ll learn how to research, interview, and report on local topics while developing journalistic writing, fact-checking, and investigative skills. You’ll study story structure, media ethics, and photojournalism and collaborate with peers to refine your work for publication in City Limits. The program emphasizes accuracy, civic awareness, and critical thinking, helping you understand how journalism informs and impacts communities.
3. Princeton Summer Journalism Program (PSJP)
Location: Hybrid; includes virtual workshops and remote reporting, culminating in a 10-day residential program at Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
Cost | Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Up to 40 students
Program Dates: Online workshops start during the week of July 1 and end with a 10-day residential experience, which spans from July 24 – August 3 (tentative; subject to change)
Application Deadline: February
Eligibility: Current high school juniors who live in and plan to attend college in the U.S. | Required minimum unweighted GPA of 3.5/4.0 | Must meet at least one of the socioeconomic conditions below:
- The combined income of your parents/guardians does not exceed $60,000
- Your family income or circumstances qualify you to receive free or reduced-price lunch in your high school
- Your family income or circumstances qualify you to receive an SAT or ACT fee waiver
PSJP is a free year-long college preparation and journalism program for high school juniors from limited-income backgrounds. Through a multi-week hybrid summer intensive, you’ll study reporting, feature writing, and multimedia journalism with guidance from Princeton Faculty and professional journalists. You’ll also gain hands-on experience covering real events, touring major news organizations, and publishing your work in The Princeton Summer Journal. Beyond the summer, you’ll continue working one-on-one with your college adviser to navigate the college application process. While not a traditional internship, PSJP provides structured newsroom experience, editorial mentorship, and exposure to professional journalism practices.
4. The Bell School-Year Journalism Internship Programs
Location: The Bell’s office in lower Manhattan, NY
Cost | Stipend: Free | Up to $1,000
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: No information available
Program Dates: December – May; exact dates may vary based on role
Application Deadline: November 3 (tentative; based on previous years)
Eligibility: Current NYC public or charter high school students
In this program, you’ll explore the fundamentals of audio journalism while producing stories for Miseducation and P.S. Weekly, two podcasts focused on education and equity in New York City. You’ll learn how to research, interview, write scripts, record, and edit audio while examining issues like school funding, equity, and student life. Working under the guidance of professional journalists, you’ll apply newsroom standards to your reporting and gain experience in collaborative story production. Along the way, you will develop skills in writing and communication and discover potential career paths in journalism and media.
5. Pasquines Writing Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost | Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Program Dates: Available year-round
Application Deadline: Interns are accepted on a rolling basis; no specific deadlines
Eligibility: Open to high school students
The Pasquines Writing Internship is a fully remote, self-paced program for students interested in political journalism and public affairs. As an intern, you will research and write articles on topics related to U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico and Guam, focusing on governance, policy, innovation, and civic issues. You will collaborate with senior editors, learn how to tailor your content for an online audience, and strengthen your skills in fact-checking and analysis. The internship offers flexible scheduling to accommodate your academic commitments, and you can even request support to earn college credit.
6. NYU Urban Journalism Workshop
Location: New York University, New York, NY
Cost | Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: 20 students
Program Dates: June 13 – 19
Application Deadline: March 8
Eligibility: High school students aged 16 and above who are from the tri-state area (New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey)
The NYU Urban Journalism Workshop is a 10-day intensive program for high school students from the New York City metropolitan area interested in learning core reporting, writing, and multimedia journalism skills. You’ll receive hands-on instruction from NYU faculty and professional journalists while producing your own stories for publication on The Spectrum, the program’s website. The program also includes newsroom visits to outlets like CNN and The New York Times and discussions with media professionals about the reporting process. Throughout the program, you’ll live in NYU dorms, experience college life, develop practical reporting and production skills, and build a portfolio that can support future college, internship, and journalism career opportunities.
7. Youth Journalism International Student Program
Location: Virtual
Cost | Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Program Dates: Year-round, with orientation sessions held a few times a year
Application Deadline: Varies by session
Eligibility: Open to students from all over the world who are between the ages of 12 and 22 and can write in English
In this virtual program, you’ll develop core journalism skills by reporting on global issues for an international audience through Youth Journalism International’s online platform. As a student reporter, you’ll pitch story ideas, interview sources, and write articles under the mentorship of professional editors. Orientation sessions are held throughout the year to give you an idea of what you can expect as a Youth Journalism International student. The program is self-paced and open to students worldwide, allowing you to build a writing portfolio and gain experience in news reporting at no cost.
8. The Writing Cooperative
Location: Virtual
Cost | Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Program Dates: Flexible; self-paced
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Open to high school students
The Writing Cooperative is a Medium publication where high school students can pitch and publish original articles under their own byline. Though this is not a traditional internship, you may get the opportunity to work independently to develop story ideas, write drafts, and refine your pieces based on light editorial feedback from the publication’s editors. The program emphasizes craft, clarity, and creative communication across a range of topics. This is a chance for motivated high school students to gain experience writing for a wide range of audiences, get published online, and build a professional writing portfolio.
9. CondéFuture Program
Location: Condé Nast, One World Trade Center, New York, NY, along with the opportunity to travel to Los Angeles
Cost | Stipend: Free | Participants receive a stipend every four months during the two-year program
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: 12 students
Program Dates: This is a two-year program starting in the participant’s junior year and continuing into their senior year; the program takes place during the school year (October – June), along with summer engagement opportunities
Application Deadline: TBD
Eligibility: Rising public high school juniors from NYC
Condé Nast’s CondéFuture program is a two-year learning opportunity for rising NYC public high school juniors interested in media, journalism, and creative industries. Through weekly sessions at Condé Nast’s One World Trade Center offices, you’ll explore how journalism intersects with photography, video, social media, fashion, and design. You’ll learn directly from industry professionals, complete hands-on creative projects, and develop skills in storytelling, presentation, and technical production, while building a digital media portfolio that will help your future career pursuits. Participants also receive professional mentorship, a stipend, and access to potential internship opportunities within Condé Nast’s network of media brands.
10. Asian American Journalists Association’s JCamp
Location: Seattle, WA
Cost | Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Around 30 students (exact numbers may vary each year)
Program Dates: July 26 – August 1
Application Deadline: January 31
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores and juniors with a strong interest in journalism
AAJA’s JCamp is a six-day, all-expenses-paid summer training program for high school sophomores and juniors interested in journalism. You’ll receive hands-on experience in multimedia reporting, leadership, and newsroom collaboration while producing stories for JCamp Live. The curriculum covered cross-cultural communication, journalism ethics, and the role of diversity in media coverage through workshops, field reporting, and discussions with industry professionals. Although not an internship, JCamp provides practical reporting experience and access to a network of experienced journalists and media professionals, making it a strong foundation for students considering a journalism career.
11. The Stanford Daily’s High School Winter Workshops
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on the program and when you apply (full and partial need-based scholarships available)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective with a limited number of spots
Program Dates: December 15 – January 9
Application Deadline: November 30
Eligibility: High school students
The Stanford Daily’s High School Winter Workshops are four-week, fully remote programs where high school students can explore journalism, multimedia production, or newsroom technology. In the Journalism track, you’ll explore the fundamentals of investigative journalism while learning to interview sources, craft news pieces, and navigate the ethics of reporting on sensitive subjects. You may also get the chance to be published on The Stanford Daily’s website. The Multimedia track focuses on podcasting, photography, and video journalism, covering both technical and editorial aspects of digital storytelling. The Tech track introduces you to the role of coding and web development in modern newsrooms, including tools like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. While not a typical internship, this workshop series allows students to experience newsroom-style collaboration and publish work under the mentorship of Stanford Daily editors.
12. Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA)’s Summer Journalism Workshop
Location: Virtual and in-person sessions at Columbia University School of Professional Studies, New York, NY
Cost: $2,830 (In-person Program) | $2,815 (Online Program) | Financial aid available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Program Dates: June 21 – 26 (In-person) | July 6 – 10; July 13 – 17; July 20 – 27 (Online)
Application Deadline: April 2
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 15 years old at the start of the workshop
The CSPA Summer Journalism Workshop at Columbia University is a one-week program that introduces high school students to core areas of journalism, editorial leadership, and media design. Based on the session you choose, you may take part in hands-on newsroom-style activities such as reporting, editing, layout design, and publication management, guided by experienced faculty advisers and student press professionals. The program offers both in-person and virtual options, allowing you to focus on areas like writing, editing, or design based on your interests. Though structured as a workshop rather than an internship, CSPA’s program provides practical training in newsroom writing, editing, and publication management that mirrors a professional media environment.
13. Project Write Now (PWN) Teen Internship Program
Location: Virtual
Cost | Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: The Interview Project internship accepts up to 10 participants
Program Dates: Year-round
Application Deadline: Applications open in February, and positions are filled on a first-come, first-served basis
Eligibility: Open to students aged 15–18
PWN Teen Internship Program is a hands-on experience for students aged 15–18 interested in writing, publishing, and journalism. In the Interview Project track, you will learn how to conduct interviews, identify compelling details, and write a compelling narrative. Your stories will be edited and published in Bridge Ink, PWN’s own online young adult literary magazine, giving you practical experience in journalistic storytelling and editorial collaboration. Additional tracks include teaching and editorial internships, all beginning with a short virtual training session. While the program is unpaid, you will earn community service hours and can include this experience on college applications and resumes.
14. NYC Summer Academy
Location: A university campus in New York City’s Lincoln Center area
Cost: $7,695 (Residential Program) | $6,195 (Day Program) | Scholarships and discounts available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Varies by course
Program Dates: June 7 – 19 (Term 1) | June 21 – July 3 (Term 2) | July 5 – 17 (Term 3) | July 19 – 31 (Term 4)
Application Deadline: April 30 (tentative; subject to change)
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors, as well as graduation seniors, aged 15–18
The NYC Summer Academy, organized by The School of The New York Times, offers high school students the opportunity to study journalism and media in New York City through residential or day programs. You’ll learn from professional journalists and editors while exploring subject areas such as reporting, opinion writing, photojournalism, and digital storytelling. Courses include options like Reporting and Writing: Journalism Essentials, Introduction to Investigative Journalism, Political Reporting, Follow the Money: Business Reporting, and Arts and Culture Reporting.
One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, and chemistry, 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!
Image source – Project Write Now