Posted On: February 22, 2022

Journalism Internship

Media Organization: Strauss News

Company Description

Straus News publishes 17 local weekly newspapers and associated websites in contiguous towns in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The circulation area covers Manhattan and Orange County in New York, Sussex and Passaic Counties in New Jersey and Pike County in Pennsylvania. Straus News also publishes dirt, a magazine covering the local green scene.

Straus News' newspapers are Our Town - Eastsider, The West Side Spirit - Westsider, Chelsea News - Chelsea Clinton News and Our Town - Downtowner in Manhattan; The Warwick Advertiser, The Photo News, The Chronicle in Orange County, NY; The Advertiser-News (North Edition), The Advertiser-News (South Edition), The Sparta Independent, The Township Journal, The West Milford Messenger in New Jersey and The Pike County Courier in Pennsylvania.

Our newspapers and websites focus on local issues that matter to people's everyday lives, from concerns about schools and infrastructure spending to who's who in town and soccer scores. We pride ourselves on our commitment to reporting the tough local stories while highlighting the success and achievements in our neighborhoods.

The newspapers have won numerous awards for news coverage, editorial and advertising excellence, including first place for in-depth reporting from the Local Media Association for a series about heroin addiction entitled "High in Sussex County," and a prestigious National Education Writers Award for "Middle School Principal Tests Boundaries with Home Visit."

The newspapers are distributed to more than 150,000 homes each week.

Job Description

Straus News, which in Manhattan comprises four weekly newspapers, seeks capable and enthusiastic editorial interns for the fall, spring and summer semesters.

Interns work in the office and remotely, covering local neighborhood news on the Upper West Side, Upper East Side, downtown and Chelsea. Interns work closely with editorial staff, attend weekly story meetings (in person or over Zoom) and report on and write everything from arts features to investigations.

We require interns to commit to two full weekdays. Days and times are flexible. Internships are unpaid and MUST be eligible for school credit.

Duties include:
· Reporting and writing profiles, Q&As, feature stories, news stories, investigative pieces, news briefs, and other stories
· Attending weekly editorial meetings
· Pitching stories
· Helping research investigative stories
· Doing "man-on-the-street" interviews
· Taking photos and videos

Interns will report on local government, transportation, small businesses, schools, crime, the arts and development, as well as write profiles.

We like stories that inform our smart, loyal readers about their neighborhoods, stories they are not likely to read elsewhere. These are published in the West Side Spirit, Our Town, Our Town Downtown and Chelsea News.

We do not do reviews, either of arts events or food/restaurants, but we do stories about the people behind those events and restaurants.

To Apply

To apply:
Please email Editor Alexis Gelber at editor.ot@strausnews.com. Include a brief cover letter detailing your specific interest in local journalism and your availability (potential starting date as well as days/times available) for the semester. Please also attach a resume and links to published clips.