Editing Internship

If you love language and are passionate about fact-checking, grammar and spelling, you have a future in editing. Editors assess copy for accuracy, completeness, tone and style, write headlines and design pages. Most importantly, they are the last line of defense before a news outlet publishes content. During the training, interns hone their visual design, headline writing and SEO skills, strengthen their news judgment and publish high quality content on deadline. Interns attend a one-week training program before reporting to work in paid internships at top media companies for 10 to 12 weeks.

  • Application Process

    To apply to the DJNF college internship program, students must complete an online application, attach supporting documentation and take a timed, online test. The deadline for summer 2022 was November 11, 2021. Application for summer 2023 will open in September.

    Application Form:

    Students must complete an online application where you will be prompted to create your candidate profile and answer job-specific questions for each program.

    We recommend you begin once you have assembled all required items:
    - A résumé
    - An unofficial transcript
    - Complete contact information for two references
    - A personal 500-word essay: Tell us about a time you learned a life lesson the hard way
    - Samples of your work. Please attach 3-5 clips of stories you wrote or links to digital content you produced. For data journalism you may attach code you have written or a data visualization you created; editors can provide headlines, page designs or social media posts. To stay within the five upload limit, please combine your work samples into one PDF document.

    Look for the section marked "Required Attachments" to add these documents.

    After clicking “Submit,” you will NOT be able to return to the application. You will receive an automated email confirmation after submitting your application. DJNF staff will email you a link to the required online test via HireVue.

    We strongly recommend printing a copy of each completed section as you progress for your records. You may upload the same documents to multiple applications.

    Application for 2022 internships is closed
    Test:

    Once we receive a completed application, applicants are emailed a link to take a timed, online test via HireVue. This test must be completed to be considered for the DJNF program. To prepare for the test applicants can review previous test questions and a test prep webinar, links posted below.

  • Program Benefits
    Selected students receive immersive, specialized, all-expenses paid pre-internship training, weekly salaries of at least $525 for a minimum of 10 weeks, $1,500 scholarships for students and graduates with federal loans. Editing interns also receive one-year memberships to the Online News Association and ACES: The Society for Editing; a one-year subscription to the digital AP Stylebook; and a lifetime membership to the DJNF alumni network.

  • Criteria
    College sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduate students who are enrolled in school full-time as of the application deadline are eligible to apply for the college internship programs. This includes December graduates. Former professionals (those who have worked full-time on staff as a journalist for a year or more) in the U.S. or abroad are not eligible.

  • FAQs
    Who is eligible to apply for internships?

    College sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduate students are eligible to apply for a Multiplatform Editing internship as long as they are enrolled full-time by the application deadline. This includes December graduates. U.S. students studying abroad and international students already in the U.S. with work visas are also eligible.

    Can I apply for more than one internship program?

    Yes, you will be asked to indicate which programs you prefer on the application.

    Where can I take the qualifying test?

    After you submit your application we will send an email from HireVue with a link to the single, timed, online test that should be completed within 3 days.

    Does my professor need to proctor the test?

    No, due to COVID-19 we are not requiring college faculty to supervise the test. Instead, students will take a timed, online test.

    Is the test open book?

    No, the News Fund staff expects applicants not to use any materials or devices to assist in answering the questions. Each question is timed to preclude using reference materials.

    Why is my application not going through when I hit submit?

    Confirm the required fields marked with asterisks are completed. Once the application is successfully submitted, you will receive a confirmation email.

    Do I need to take the whole test if I am only applying to one program?

    Yes, you must finish the entire test for it to be submitted and scored.

    Can I edit my application after I hit submit?

    No, after clicking “Submit,” you will NOT be able to return to the application. You can start the application and stop and save it as you work on it, but once you hit submit you cannot go back. If you submitted an application and forgot to attach your essay and transcript, please email those documents to djnf@dowjones.com. In the subject line put, "YOUR NAME - Missing Attachments".

    What is the maximum size for uploads?

    The maximum file size for each document is 5MB.

    What document formats can be uploaded?

    The following files types are accepted: DOC, DOCX, HTML, PDF, or TXT. It is best to use MSWord documents or PDFs.

    What is the essay question?

    Tell us about a time you learned a life lesson the hard way. Upload a PDF or Word document containing no more than 500 words.

    When will I be notified if I was selected?

    The News Fund begins notifying interns in December, and continues into the Spring until all the media requests are fulfilled.

    Can international students apply?

    We are open to international students who are already in the U.S. and authorized to work here on student visas. We do not transport students from abroad or ask employers to sponsor international students to come here.

    Where can I find practice tests?

    Previous versions of the tests can be found at https://dowjonesnewsfund.org/test/.

    I am filling out the application and cannot locate my major in the drop-down menu. What should I do?

    Each application asks students for their fields of study. The drop-down menu only lists the first 100 available options (up to the letter "D"). If you don’t see your major, try typing it into the search bar.
    If you are still unable to locate your major, use the short answer space in the application that asks for additional majors or minors.