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Intern at St. Louis Public Radio

St. Louis Public Radio is the region’s National Public Radio (NPR) member station and is a service of the University of Missouri - St. Louis.

STLPR’s paid internship program provides immersive learning opportunities for current college students and graduates. Interns work alongside and receive instruction and mentorship from staff members throughout the organization.

STLPR is currently accepting internship applications for the summer 2024 semester in the following areas: Newsroom, Newsroom Visuals and Talk Show Production. Other internship positions will open for application soon. 

STLPR is also offering a Special Events internship over the spring and summer semesters to take place between March and August 2024.

The application deadline for the Newsroom, Newsroom Visuals, and Special Events summer internships is Sunday, February 4, 2024 at midnight.

St. Louis Public Radio internships pay an hourly wage of $15, along with the opportunity for college credit depending on the requirements of interns’ respective degree programs. Each internship averages a time commitment of 20-25 hours per week.

The internship program is open to anyone with college experience.

Application Instructions:

To apply, please download and complete this application form.

Email your application along with a resume (and cover letter and/or work samples, if desired) to Jess Luther.


Positions


Newsroom (Journalism)

The newsroom intern will learn every aspect of being a reporter at St. Louis Public Radio. This includes the technical aspects of audio recording and editing; writing for radio; writing for web; taking photographs for web stories; interviewing techniques; and how to pitch and research stories. The newsroom intern will contribute regularly to our newscasts and daily internet stories. Interns will also be exposed to data journalism techniques; how to successfully use social engagement to report and tell stories; and how to voice radio stories. Ideally, interns will complete one capstone project that can be an enterprise story that incorporates a four-minute radio story and a full digital story.

Minimum Requirements: Excellent writing skills, demonstrated interest in journalism and ability to consistently meet deadlines. We expect our interns to be available between 25-30 hours per week. It helps if the intern has boundless curiosity and knowledge about local news and current affairs.

Evaluation: Evaluation of the intern will occur in accordance with guidelines of their school, if the intern is currently a student. Considerations will include production skills (microphone techniques, sound quality, editing, etc.), writing ability (structure of the story, attribution of facts, objectivity, and liveliness of the writing), willingness to follow direction, efficient use of time, self-motivation and initiative, and accuracy and attention to detail. A final evaluation will be held at the end of the semester.


Newsroom Visuals (Journalism)

St. Louis Public Radio’s visuals intern will apply and develop storytelling skills through impactful still photographs of breaking news, enterprise reporting, and other journalistic content across STLPR’s digital platforms. In addition, the intern will work with our digital team to capture and produce short-form videos to distribute across our social media platforms — including Instagram and TikTok. Ideally, interns will complete at least one capstone project that could be an enterprise story, photo essay or multimedia piece.

The STLPR Visuals Intern will be provided with a Canon DSLR-kit with prime lenses, an audio recording kit and a laptop. In addition, we have a pool of Sony mirrorless camera equipment and mobile internet hotspots to use when needed.

Minimum Requirements: Excellent photography skills, familiarity with shooting video and editing in non-linear software like Adobe Premiere, solid writing skills, demonstrated interest in journalism and ability to consistently meet deadlines. The intern must have a vehicle, up-to-date car insurance and a valid driver’s license.

Evaluation: Evaluation of the intern will occur in accordance with their school’s guidelines, if the intern is currently a student. Considerations will include production skills (camera techniques, editing, etc.), storytelling ability (capturing compelling moments, caption writing), willingness to follow direction, efficient use of time, self-motivation and initiative, accuracy and attention to detail. A final evaluation will be held at the end of the internship period.

Other Details: This position is scheduled for 12 weeks, with start and end dates to best fit the selected candidate’s schedule. The pay is $15 per hour for up to 40 hours per week, along with the opportunity for college credit depending on the requirements of interns’ respective degree programs. Assignment-related mileage will be reimbursed at the UM System rate of $0.65/mile.

Submission Materials:

  • A link to a moments-based photo portfolio and/or video samples. Please include at least one picture story as part of your submission.
  • Cover letter about what you would bring to this internship and what you would hope to gain.
  • A resume and complete STLPR internship application.

Special Events

The student will assist in the preparation of St. Louis Public Radio events including planning, set-up, execution, and breakdown. Additionally, the student will assist in development activities as they relate to events for St. Louis Public Radio.

Minimum Requirements: Event planning experience, excellent writing, and organizational skills required. Customer service experience a plus. Familiarity with and enthusiasm for public radio programming preferred. Approval from the St. Louis Public Radio Special Events Director.

Evaluation: Evaluation of the intern will occur in accordance with the guidelines of their school. Considerations will include the ability to work independently, follow instructions, use time efficiently, attend to details, and produce quality writing.


Talk Show Production (St. Louis on the Air)

The production internship is divided into two tracks of study and practice. Both tracks are completed primarily through the content and audio production of St. Louis Public Radio’s daily talk show, St. Louis on the Air. Interns may specialize in one track; however, the ideal candidate will be interested in and become familiar with both.

Minimum Requirements: Excellent communication skills and availability of 15-25 hours per week including a minimum of three days per week to be worked from 11:00 – 1:30 to accommodate live show production. Experience with digital recording and editing is preferred but not required. Previous journalism and content production experience is preferred but not required. Approval from Talk Show Producer(s).

Track One: Talk Show Producer: Working with the talk show team to produce content for St. Louis Public Radio’s daily talk show, St. Louis on the Air. This includes: generating show ideas, booking guests, conducting research, writing news stories based on talk show content, social media engagement, and other engagement efforts as required.

Track Two: Audio Production: Working with the talk show team, the intern will complete tasks relating to the engineering and audio production of: 1) live talk show St. Louis on the Air 2) interview and podcast recordings 3) web features 4) music beds 5) field recordings. With practice, the intern will learn advanced digital editing, board operation, live mixing, and other concepts & techniques relating to radio audio production.

Evaluation: Evaluation of the intern will occur in accordance with the guidelines of their school (if applicable). Considerations will include progress gained, effective use of time, initiative, ability to follow instructions, audio and content production skills learned, and ability to work both independently and within a group.