10 Journalism Internships for High School Students in NYC
If you’re a high school student interested in journalism, an internship can give you a clearer picture of what it takes to tell stories that inform and engage communities. Beyond the classroom, these opportunities allow you to practice research, interviewing, and writing while seeing how newsrooms and media organizations actually operate. You also gain experience with collaboration, deadlines, and the ethics of reporting—skills that transfer well to many careers.
New York City is one of the best places to explore journalism because it’s home to major newspapers, magazines, radio stations, and digital outlets. The city also offers smaller community-based organizations and nonprofits where young people can learn the ropes in a more hands-on environment. Some of these programs provide stipends or financial aid, and a few can even be done remotely, making them more accessible.
Here are 10 journalism internships in NYC that can help you test your interest in the field, develop your skills, and learn from professionals working in one of the world’s media capitals.
1. Radio Rookies
Location: New York City
Cost/Stipend: Monthly stipend; equipment provided for program duration
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; small cohorts per workshop
Dates: Varies by workshop cycle
Application Deadline: Varies
Eligibility: NYC teenagers and young adults
Radio Rookies is WNYC’s award-winning initiative that trains young people to create original radio stories about their lives and communities. Participants gain comprehensive training in radio journalism, covering interviewing, scriptwriting, and audio editing with professional equipment. Their stories are broadcast on WNYC, and many have been featured on NPR, BBC, and This American Life. Beginners receive practical experience, mentorship, and nationally recognized bylines.
2. Ladder Internships
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Cost: Varies depending on program type; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. Spring (January), Summer
(May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students!
Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program for ambitious high school students! In the program, you work with a high-growth start-up on an internship. Start-ups that offer internships range across a variety of industries, from tech/deep tech and AI/ML to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. You can explore all the options on their application form. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies, on average raising over a million dollars. In the program, interns work closely with their managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and present their work to the company. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.
3. The Bell–Audio Journalism Internship
Location: New York City
Stipend: Paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; ~15-20 interns per cycle.
Dates: Typically during the school year.
Application Deadline: November 3
Eligibility: NYC public or charter high school students
The Bell offers a paid journalism internship for NYC public high school students, focused on audio storytelling. You’ll learn essential skills such as interviewing, scriptwriting, editing, and podcast production. You will also work closely with industry mentors while contributing to real episodes of Miseducation and P.S. Weekly. Past interns have explored education inequities and garnered recognition from top media outlets, including PBS and The New York Times. Whether or not you pursue journalism long-term, you’ll build confidence, communication skills, and a voice for change.
4. CLARIFY – City Limits Accountability Reporting Initiative
Location: Midtown Manhattan
Cost/Stipend: $2,000 (summer); $500 (fall)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: Varies, two cohorts (summer & fall)
Application Deadline: Varies based on cohort
Eligibility: NYC high school students (grades 11–12 or recent grads)
CLARIFY is a paid internship in public service journalism that provides students with important career readiness skills through the lens of public service journalism. You'll learn how to write articles, research local issues, and sharpen your communication and critical thinking skills. CLARIFY is designed to support students from all backgrounds. Plus, it’s a paid opportunity that can help you build confidence, media literacy, and career-ready skills while making your voice heard.
5. Press Pass NYC – Student Editor Summer Bootcamp
Location: Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, NYC
Stipend: $250+ lunch + daily field trips
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: August 4 – August 8
Application Deadline: April 25
Eligibility: High school in grades 9-11 from NYC public schools
Press Pass NYC’s Student Editor Bootcamp is a week-long, in-person journalism leadership program for NYC public high school students in grades 9–11. You'll sharpen your editing, leadership, and audience engagement skills while collaborating with peers and pros at CUNY’s Journalism School. The boot camp features daily field trips and lunch. While not a traditional internship, you can learn how to engage your audience, ensure your newspaper or news site effectively serves your school community, edit efficiently, and contribute to your news publication and team.
6. Chalkbeat – Student Voices Fellowship
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $1,000 per semester
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~2 fellows per semester in NYC
Dates: Fall or spring semester
Application Deadline: August 30
Eligibility: 11th and 12th graders attending public or charter high schools within the city limits of New York City
Chalbeat is a team of mission-driven journalists who believe that an independent local press is vital to ensuring that education improves. As a fellow, you’ll write two personal essays for publication on Chalkbeat, guided by professional editors. You’ll workshop and revise under direct journalistic coaching, developing a confident writing voice. You'll also join occasional Zoom sessions with Chalkbeat staff, journalism instructors, and guest speakers to deepen your skills and knowledge.
7. NYC Office of the Mayor Internship
Location: New York City Hall
Stipend: $16.50 per hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Varies; competitive civic internships
Dates: July 7 – August 29
Application Deadline: March 30
Eligibility: NYC public high school students; you must be 16 years of age or older to apply for an internship with the NYC Mayor’s Office.
In this program, you'll assist communications and public policy teams with press releases, social media, and outreach to constituents. Your daily responsibilities include monitoring media, drafting briefing notes, and helping coordinate public events. You’ll enhance your journalism skills through research, preparing briefings, and handling inquiries, all while observing government communication and decision-making processes. Speaker sessions, event staffing, and the collaborative service project give you real-world reporting insights, civic context, and storytelling experience. Mentorship from city professionals helps sharpen writing and civic engagement skills.
8. The New York Times Experience Program
Location: NYC newsroom
Cost/Stipend: $50 application fee; residential program—$7265; day program—$5935
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; small cohorts
Dates: Varies by different terms
Application Deadline: April 30
Eligibility: High school students with strong writing skills and an interest in journalism
Through this program, you’ll shadow NYT journalists, attend reporting meetings, and assist with research for stories and multimedia content. The experience gives you an insider's view of a top newsroom’s workflow, editorial decision-making, and journalistic standards. You may help fact-check, curate stories, and support the editorial staff. Workshops and mentorship sessions help you develop your own reporting skills. You’ll return with a deeper understanding of major news media and resume-worthy experience. This opportunity includes shadowing journalists and participating in newsroom workflows, making it more observational than a typical internship.
9. PWN Teen Fellowship
Location: Red Bank, New Jersey (Project Write Now)
Cost/Stipend: No cost; donor-supported
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; small cohort of fellows
Dates: October – June (school year)
Application Deadline: Varies; typically before October start
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors
The PWN Teen Fellowship pairs motivated high school seniors with a professional writer/mentor for a 24-session program. Fellows design ambitious individual writing projects, from book manuscripts to journalism pieces, while also engaging in PWN’s writing community. Alongside one-on-one guidance, you will lead events, contribute to outreach, and gain editing support. This fellowship aims to foster creative growth, community leadership, and the skills to pursue a writer’s life.
10. CondéFuture (Condé Nast + Edgies Teen Center)
Location: New York City (One World Trade Center) + Los Angeles travel opportunity
Cost/Stipend: Stipend provided every four months
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 12 NYC students selected
Dates: October – June (two academic years + summer engagement)
Application Deadline: TBD
Eligibility: Rising NYC public high school juniors (current 10th graders)
CondéFuture is a two-year media career program hosted by Condé Nast in partnership with the Educational Alliance. Twelve students gain hands-on experience in journalism, fashion, photography, video, social media, and design while working alongside industry professionals at iconic brands such as Vogue and The New Yorker. Weekly sessions, summer opportunities, and a trip to Los Angeles help participants build a digital media portfolio, develop technical production skills, and explore creative career paths.
Image Source - The Bell Logo