How to get into journalism

To get into journalism, you will need to develop your writing skills, become familiar with the topics and trends in the industry, and research potential employers. You're someone who likes to investigate the story and always has the latest scoop. You're not sure, however, how to best break into journalism. The good news is you're not alone, and with a step-by-step plan, you too can be a successful journalist regardless of your career background.

How To Become A Journalism Internship: What It Is and Career Path

What is a journalism internship and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Anna Mae Duane

Journalism interns assist the work of a communications agency by performing entry-level tasks under seasoned professionals' supervision. Often as enrolled communications students, they gain hands-on experience supporting their theoretical knowledge in media and communications in exchange for college credits or a limited income.

As a journalism intern, you will be a temporary member of a communications team. You will get the chance to practice and perfect your writing or photography skills, regularly receiving valuable feedback on your work. Besides that, you will get the opportunity to gain insight into the daily hustle of a communications agency down to the nitty-gritty details.

You will take part in conducting research for stories, collecting information on hot topics. You will receive assignments to do interviews, write articles, prepare notes, and assist your colleagues in their work in any way necessary. You will get an overview of this exciting job's various aspects while building valuable professional connections to help you land a position as a full-time journalist later on.

What general advice would you give to a journalism internship?

Anna Mae Duane

Professor of English and Director of the Humanities Institute, Website

The idea that English majors are not in demand is a myth—don’t harm your own chances by buying into it! There are numerous studies—and countless employer testimonies—that indicate how valuable your skills as an English major are. English majors consistently find work in a variety of fields, and perhaps even more important, alumni of English departments report that they find their jobs and lives rewarding. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, 'what sets two equally qualified job candidates apart can be as simple as who has the better communication skills.' You are, in many ways, ahead of the game in comparison to others in your cohort. I’d also urge English majors to think broadly about their career options. Yes, fields like journalism, publishing and advertising all rely on the skills developed in English departments. But other employers, particularly in tech companies, have realized how valuable English majors can be to their organization. As a recent report in Fortune indicates, top executives in AI at IBM and elsewhere realize that having expertise in the Humanities is an essential component for success in their field.

ScoreJournalism InternshipUS Average

Salary

2.6

Avg. Salary $32,804

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.3

Growth rate 8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.59%

Asian 5.33%

Black or African American 10.26%

Hispanic or Latino 12.14%

Unknown 5.11%

White 66.57%

Gender

female 66.19%

male 33.81%

Age - 40

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 40

Stress level

7.3

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.8

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a journalism internship

Explore journalism internship education requirements

Most common journalism internship degrees

Bachelor's

84.7 %

Associate

6.1 %

Master's

4.3 %

Start to develop specific journalism internship skills

Skills	Percentages
Relevant Topics	12.76%
News Stories	11.95%
Local News	6.94%
Press Releases	6.34%
Photography	5.28%

Complete relevant journalism internship training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New journalism interns learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a journalism internship based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real journalism internship resumes.

Research journalism internship duties and responsibilities

Support editor-in-chief in managing a yearbook staff.
Update website nightly with news and the daily articles in print with appropriate SEO.
Copyedit, type-mark (HTML), query authors, and correct galley proofs for scholarly journals.
Collaborate with co-workers on editing English poetry.

Prepare your journalism internship resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your journalism internship resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a journalism internship resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable journalism internship resume templates

Build a professional journalism internship resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your journalism internship resume.