J-School internship programs

The School of Journalism and Mass Communication has two dedicated internship programs to give students greater opportunity to pursue experience in newspaper and television reporting.

The Hawkes Newspaper Internship Program
The WISC-TV Internship Program
Wisconsin State Journal Internship Program

The Hawkes Newspaper Internship Program
This program, honoring Lester L. Hawkes, late emeritus professor of journalism at UW-Madison, is designed to place outstanding journalism students in full-time semester internships at Wisconsin newspapers. Since 1977, the Hawkes Internship Program has provided hundreds of students with valuable hands-on experience as working journalists.

Students selected for the Hawkes Internship Program spend the summer semester working as full-time, paid interns for newspapers in south central Wisconsin. To be eligible for the Hawkes program, students must:

• be a declared undergraduate or graduate journalism major
• complete J335 or J800 before the internship begins
• have at least one academic semester remaining after completion of the internship (seniors graduating in May cannot apply)
• have access to a car for the duration of the internship

Download a 2008 application here

Due to staffing changes this year, applications for the program will be due Monday, April 7, 2008 at NOON. Placements will be made by May 2. Selection criteria include strong performance in journalism courses; professional interest as demonstrated by media experience; and recommendations from journalism instructors.

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The WISC-TV Internship Program
2006 June-December application deadline: April 15
The WISC-TV internship is a six-month, full-time paid television reporting internship that essentially hires the student as an entry-level reporter from either January-June or July-December. WISC-TV is a top-100 CBS affiliate with a strong local news presence.

Preference is for students who will have completed J419 before the beginning of the internship. Students must have access to a car and cannot have graduated before the beginning of the internship. Applications are generally due in early November and late March and consist of a cover letter, resume, academic transcript and resume tape.

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Wisconsin State Journal Internship Program
This program places high-quality reporting students pursuing undergraduate or professional-track Master’s degrees in part-time internships at the Wisconsin State Journal during the fall, spring and summer semesters.

The internship will require 10-20 hours per week and is unpaid, though a travel stipend may be possible. Exact hours will be determined between the editor and the intern and may be flexible around courses and other time commitments.

Interns may be placed at the following desks: Business, City, Design, Features, Graphics, National/World, Online, Opinion/Editorial, Photography or Sports.

To apply for a WSJ internship, students must have:

• completed J335 or J800 before the beginning of the internship OR
• completed J202 before the beginning of the internship and have solid internship or student media experience
• Be in good academic standing with the University and the School of Journalism.

Preference is given to students who have also completed an advanced reporting course.

To apply, students must submit the following, preferably electronically:

• Application form (you may download and fill out the application in PDF form and save it with your last name in the filename)
• Cover letter (in PDF format and addressed to Wisconsin State Journal Internship committee)
• Resume (PDF format)
• 5-7 clips (at most, two of these may be coursework) copied on 8.5x11 paper OR portfolio of 10-12 photo/design samples electronically (PDF format)

Summer 2008 applications are due to 5134 Vilas by Friday, May 2.

WI State Journal editors will select the students they wish to interview. All applicants will be notified regarding their interview status.

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