Washington Post Student Internship Program

Do you want the scoop on internships in The Post's newsroom? Assistant Managing Editor for Personnel Peter Perl chatted about the program. Details about how the 12-week program works and how to apply can be found here.

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Peter Perl: Welcome to our discussion about the Post internship program. We think it's an exciting opportunity for young would-be journalists and I'm happy to answer your questions.

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Athens, GA: Do you offer internships during the Fall and Spring terms?

Peter Perl: Yes, we have just begun to offer school-year internships that are open to juniors, seniors and grad students. Like the summer program, this internship features a wide variety of web-based jobs. Since this is a brand-new program for our newsroom, we have done recruiting only among Washington-area colleges and universities, but I am happy to reach a wider audience and I plan to publicize it more widely for the coming semester in January

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Washington, D.C.: What departments are looking for interns? Is this just print or online too?

Peter Perl: Both our summer and school-year internships are assigned to a variety of departments. The summer program is broader and larger, with interns working in Sports, Financial, Style and Local departments as reporters, as well as a variety of web jobs based on our Universal Desk. Those jobs include web producers and developers, video, multimedia and interactive work. The school-year program involves reporting jobs only on Local News.

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Bethesda, Md.: What kind of things do interns get to do? Will they be writing/shooting/editing, or is it more about answering phones and getting coffee?

Peter Perl: These are real jobs. We don't want to waste your time or ours by having interns do clerical work. We have a highly competitive intern program & we are trying to find skilled and hard-working people. They definitely do not answer phones and get coffee--unless it's their own.

In fact, I just noticed that a former intern is among the people who are participating in this chat, and I will post that person's recollections to give you more of a flavor of our internships.

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Baltimore: I was a Post intern in 1993. I worked in the center of the newsroom and felt like I was in the center of the world. Bob Woodward walked up to my desk and welcomed me ... Don Graham knew my name within weeks ... I did the same exact work as the pros (though less well, naturally). I was hired full-time and spent 10 years at the Post. All this is to say if you are considering applying, DO IT. You will have to work hard -- you will GET TO work hard! -- and industriousness, talent and good attitudes (the Post is a meritocracy) are rewarded.

Peter Perl: It's great to hear from a former intern, and I have to say that your experience is far from unique. We have close to 100 people still working in our newsroom who began as summer interns. That is a remarkable number. In addition, there are hundreds more who were able to use their Post experience to go on to great things with other news organizations. At the risk of sounding like we are bragging, we think this program has been a starting point for more great journalists than anything we have run across. Part of that is because our former Executive Editor, Len Downie, and Managing Editor Bob Kaiser, both began as summer interns when the program started in the 1960s and they made it a priority for the next four decades. It's a tradition we plan to continue.

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Detroit, Mich.: What are the deadlines for the fall and spring internships?

Peter Perl: The fall internship deadline is actually this Friday. And we will posting the spring internship by November. Unlike the summer, the school-year internship is unpaid. If you are able to participate in a Washington unpaid internship, you can contact me at perlp@washpost.com and I will send you information about it.

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Scarsdale, NY: I am a junior majoring in journalism, with a 3.8 GPA at an elite East Coast university. I'm very excited about this given the feedback I get from my professors. They call me an "excellent stenographer," and that I do a great job getting down the quotes of each side so that I provide balance in my articles. Before the deadline, is there anything else I can do to boost my chances? Thank you.

Peter Perl: Unfortunately, we would not be looking for 'excellent stenographers' who are able to 'get down quotes.' That is not the kind of journalism we do. If you want to continue a personal conversation about this, please contact me at perlp@washpost.com

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Baltimore, Md.: After being laid off last year, I returned to school to pursue my lifelong dream of a career in journalism. At age 42, would I feel ridiculously out of place as an intern?

Peter Perl: Our only rule is that you be a student at the time you apply. In past years, we have had interns as old as 30. You would be our new honorary Elder Intern.

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Washington DC: What are the main qualities that you are looking for in interns?? Reporting? Writing? Video??

Peter Perl: Good question. We generally get about 400 applications, so we end up hiring maybe 1 of every 20 applicants. For those who are applying for reporting jobs, we are looking for something more than just straight reporting or pretty phrases. Rather, we are looking for people who can combine smart reporting, clear writing, and the creative spark to come up with different kinds of stories and story-telling. That kind of "enterprise" reporting--creating the story that is memorable and different--is what distinguishes the top applicants.

In terms of web-based jobs, whether it's for producers or videographers, we are looking for the same qualities. Many people can do the "straight" journalism, but a smaller number combine that with the creative spark.

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Detroit: Is any professional experience acceptable or is experience at a daily paper valued more?

Peter Perl: Professional experience--as an intern or as a staffer--is now a requirement for us. And since we are a daily news operation, in fact a 24-hour news operation, we would tend to value daily experience more highly than weekly or monthly. Producing news and information on deadline is the heart of the job.

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Falls Church, Va.: To what extent are an intern applicant's politics considered as part of the process? Would conservative views be an exclusionary factor?

Peter Perl: The answer is a resounding 'No.' I've been at The Post for 28 years and I'm always struck--even amused--by the belief from conservatives and from liberals, that we are consciously trying to spin our news coverage politically. The Post's editorial page takes political positions, as do our op-ed columnists, but in the newsroom, we are looking for good stories and smart concepts that help enlighten readers. Conservatives are welcome.

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Manassas, VA: What year college student do interns start applying? Freshman? Sophmore?

How many Interns do you accept each term?

Peter Perl: We limit the internships to juniors, seniors and grad students. Our summer program will accept between 15 and 20 students. Our school-year internships, for starters, will be capped around 10, although that could change in the future.

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Peter Perl: Thanks very much for participating. If anyone has further questions, please feel free to contact me at perlp@washpost.com

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