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.
Applications for the spring 2025 semesters are now open in the following areas: Development (Fundraising), Marketing & Communications, Missouri Statehouse Intern (Journalism), Newsroom (Journalism).
Applications for the summer 2025 semester are now open in the following area: Newsroom Visuals (Photojournalism).
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
- Development (Fundraising) Intern
- Marketing & Communications Intern
- Missouri Statehouse (Journalism) Intern
- Newsroom (Journalism) Intern
- Newsroom Visuals (Journalism) Intern
Development (Fundraising)
The intern will assist in a variety of development and fundraising-related tasks including but not limited to donor communication, donor stewardship and administrative tasks as well as data collection and processing. This internship will familiarize the intern with the processes and procedures of a development office and the implementation of a fundraising program and will prepare them for entry level positions within the nonprofit field. Interns will work with their supervisor to create and complete a larger project as well as helping with day-to-day department tasks and needs.
Minimum Requirements: Excellent communication and organization skills are needed to collaborate with a wide variety of staff and to communicate with donors. Basic computer skills including Word and Excel required. Database ability is a plus. Familiarity with and enthusiasm for public radio programs preferred. Availability of 15- 25 hours per week.
Evaluation: Evaluation of the intern will occur in accordance with the guidelines of their school. Considerations will include ability to work independently, follow instructions, use time efficiently, attend to details and communicate with individuals from various backgrounds. Professionalism, initiative and enthusiasm will also be considered.
Marketing & Communications
The intern will assist with digital marketing, including email and social media, as well as ad targeting and paid search.
Minimum Requirements: Excellent writing, communication, and organizational skills required. Qualified candidates will have knowledge of marketing principles and research, with experience implementing a variety of tactics to meet planned objectives. Approval from the St. Louis Public Radio Director of Marketing. Please include writing samples or a portfolio link along with your resume and cover letter.
Marketing & Digital Media Department Description: The marketing & digital media department at St. Louis Public Radio manages the infrastructure and analytics behind our digital products, including our website, mobile app, audio streams, and podcasts. We also create and implement marketing strategy and tactics, across a wide variety of platforms and media, to grow audience and increase content engagement. We are a team of six, including two interns.
Evaluation: Evaluation of the intern will occur in accordance with the guidelines of their school. Considerations will include ability to work independently, follow instructions, use time efficiently, attend to details, and produce quality writing.
Missouri Statehouse (Journalism)
The newsroom’s Statehouse 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 and web audiences; interviewing techniques; taking photographs; and how to pitch and research stories.
The intern will work from our Jefferson City office in the Capitol under the guidance of Statehouse Reporter Sarah Kellogg and Politics Editor Fred Ehrlich. The newsroom intern will regularly contribute newscast reports and web stories about developments in the Statehouse. Ideally, interns will complete one enterprising capstone project that incorporates a four-minute audio feature and a full digital story.
This internship is supported by a grant from the River City Journalism Fund, which seeks to advance journalism in the St. Louis region. All reporting produced by the intern will be made available to RCJF’s news partners for publication.
Minimum Requirements: Excellent writing skills, demonstrated interest in journalism and ability to consistently meet deadlines. We expect our interns to work 40 hours per week. Ideal candidates are curious, agile, have a drive to break news and are knowledgeable about Missouri issues.
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), ability 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 internship.
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.