Who We Are:
LAist is an audience-funded nonprofit news organization, and the home of LAist.com and LAist 89.3 FM. Our mission is to help people make sense of life in Southern California through reporting that is useful, thoughtful, and deeply connected to our communities.
Every day, we showcase the people and neighborhoods that make Greater LA work. With us, you don’t just get the news — you get clear context and next steps to understand SoCal, connect with it, and help change it.
We report on the biggest challenges facing the region today: housing and homelessness, climate and environmental concerns, education, immigration, and public safety. At the same time, we never lose sight of what makes SoCal the envy of the world, including its food, arts, and culture.
Today, LAist connects with people across the region every day on 89.3 FM as LA’s largest NPR station, online, in inboxes, on social media, and through news stories and guides designed to help Angelenos and Southern Californians navigate their communities.
Position Summary:
Our internships are opportunities for college students or recent graduates to learn about the real-world demands of working in an award-winning public media newsroom. We aim to provide a meaningful experience for the intern and LAist and are seeking interns interested in digital news, radio news production, audience engagement, community engagement, on-demand audio, live events, marketing, fundraising, underwriting and data journalism.
We’ll be hiring for a summer internship, with an anticipated June 2026 start date.
Internship placements include, but are not limited to, these key areas:
- Newscast or Shows – Interns in these areas assist with reporting, research, and production of these programs, which could include Morning Edition and All Things Considered. They may also contribute to LAist.com. Applicants for the news category should have experience in radio and/or digital production and include samples of their on-air or digital work.
- Digital – interns in this area can expect to write articles and learn about online audiences via production, headline writing and metrics analytics.
- Community Engagement– interns in this area support LAist’s engaged journalism approach, which includes tabling, creating and distributing printed products, creating surveys and stories or guides based on people’s responses.
- On Demand– interns in this area assist with research and production with on demand products such as LA Report and Imperfect Paradise.
- Audience Engagement – interns in this area support the audience team with the production of social media (i.e. Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn) and newsletters (i.e. LA Report Morning Edition and LA Report Evening Edition.)
- Live Programing & Events – interns in this area support the coordination, implementation, and execution of public events and activities at LAist’s Crawford Family Forum and in the communities of Southern California.
- Fundraising – interns in this area support the production of large and smaller LAist donor events, including the annual gala and research fundraising opportunities with local organizations and businesses.
- Corporate Sponsorship – interns in this area support LAist’s underwriting sales team in their efforts to secure corporate funding support.
- Marketing – interns in this area support the Marketing team and participate in tabling at community events throughout LA.
Application Deadline: February 28, 2025 (5:00pm PT)
Compensation: The pay rate for this opportunity will be $18.66 per hour.
Position Responsibility, depending on placement:
- Learn and perform various tasks, including production, reporting, interviewing, writing, recording and cutting tape.
- Assist with research of story ideas/segment concepts.
- Find and pitch ideas for stories/segments.
- Write content for web.
- Conduct pre-interviews for on-air guests and book interviews.
- Assist reporters or producers in deep-dive projects, including data analysis and document review.
- Report and produce stories for newscasts.
- Produce and optimize multimedia assets to publish to social media platforms.
- Write and produce newsletters for email distribution lists.
- Engage with residents across SoCal while tabling, providing resources, and signing up for newsletters.
- Interact with major donors and trustees at events.
- Assist with event administrative and production tasks.
- Use graphic design skills to create sales decks, proposals, and one-sheets.
- Publish paid digital products such as sponsored email blasts, social media posts, and sponsored articles and event listings.
- Research and conduct outreach to potential partnerships.
- Assist with marketing campaigns and promotions.
- Other duties as assigned.
Required Education and Experience:
- Current college student or recent graduate (within 18 months).
- Experience in a journalism environment.
- Must be able to work in person at the LAist office in Pasadena, CA.
- Must be available to work 12 weeks starting in June 2025.
Required Skills, Knowledge and Abilities, depending on role:
- Strong writing, editing, research and communication skills.
- Ability to manage several different projects at once.
- Ability to manage daily workload efficiently (good time management skills).
- Ability to meet deadlines as assigned.
- Ability to pitch original story ideas.
- Knowledge of AP Style.
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Google Suite (Docs, Sheets, Drive, Slides).
- Familiarity with the fundamentals of broadcasting.
- Interact with major donors and trustees at events.
- Assist with event production tasks.
Preferred Skills and Experience, depending on role:
- Interest in a journalism career
- Ability to conceive of, pitch, and execute compelling radio and web stories
- Familiarity with the values, sound of public radio
- Some experience working in a broadcast or newsroom environment
- Knowledge of digital editing technologies
- Must have reliable transportation
- Must be available to work nights and weekends
- Must be organized, responsible, and reliable
- Must be willing and able to follow instructions
- Background in customer service preferred
- Ability to design simple graphics and flyers in Canva
Reporting to This Position: N/A
Physical Demands and Working Conditions:
- Must be able to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
- Physical Demands:
- Required to move about in an office environment and sit for extended periods of time
- Required to move about in the community
- Frequent use of hands for data entry/keystrokes and simple grasping
- Working Conditions:
Next step in the application:
In addition to your skills and knowledge, we want to get to know you in the application process. Please include a cover letter (of no more than 1 page) with answers to the following:
- Which internship placements are you interested in? Why?
- What would you be interested in gaining through your internship?
LAist is diverse in race, ethnicity, language, culture, social class, national origin, religious and political belief, age, ability, gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation in addition to other markers protected by law.
At LAist, we strive to create an inclusive environment where we all feel pride in who we are and what we do. We are encouraged to show up as we are – always embracing and recognizing that our diversity is what brings us together. Our fundamental commitment to diversity:
- Enriches LAist and provides an atmosphere in which all human potential is valued
- Promotes learning through interactions among people of different backgrounds and many perspectives, and
- Enables the organization to prepare all employees to promote social responsibility, equity, freedom, and productive citizenship in a global society
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.
We are committed to hiring a breadth of diverse professionals and encourage you to apply.
