Spring Intern, Stocktonia

Stocktonia, a nonprofit news organization dedicated to providing rigorous, ethical and factual coverage of Greater Stockton, California, is seeking candidates to participate in its spring internship program. 

This paid internship, based in Stockton, will give students the opportunity to cover local news, strengthen multi-media capabilities and strengthen writing skills.

The internships can be tailored to the specific student’s skills and interests, and it could include experiences covering breaking news, politics, sports and writing features and enterprise stories.

Seasoned editors will mentor and coach interns and provide one-on-one editing.

Stocktonia launched in 2021 in response to the critical lack of reporting on current events in Stockton and San Joaquin County. It joined NEWSWELL in 2024.

NEWSWELL helps newsrooms become nonprofit and for-community. It provides strategic guidance, innovative solutions and wrap-around operations so local journalists can focus on local news, and newsrooms can best serve their communities. NEWSWELL partners with Arizona State University, the nation’s most innovative 11 years in a row, to offer game-changing ideas, tools and research. NEWSWELL transforms local news to help communities and democracy thrive.

*This is a 14-week, 16-hour per week internship that begins in January and ends in May. 

The hourly rate for this role is $20.

Submission Requirements: 

Please put together a single document file that includes the following, in this order:

• Your resume (one to two pages)

• A cover letter that highlights your strengths and explains why you make a strong candidate for the position

• Links to three to five online samples of your work with one- to two-sentence descriptions for each link. The descriptions should contain details about what you did and how you did it. 

Please assemble these materials into a single document and upload them in a PDF format.

What you’ll do: 

• Cover community news and events that matter to local audiences

• Seek out unique, audience-driven story ideas and build a beat on a relevant topic

• Aggregate breaking news from multiple sources and verify accuracy

• Edit, crop and size photos for online publication

• Create compelling, SEO-friendly headlines

• Produce and share engaging multimedia content, including video, audio and social media posts

• Meet with local public officials, community leaders and neighbors to build sources and strengthen reader engagement

• Analyze public data and contribute to data-driven reporting

• Collaborate with editors and reporters to support newsroom operations and editorial planning

What you'll need:  

• Candidates must meet one of the following conditions: 1) a degree-seeking student currently enrolled in a journalism or communications-related program at a college or university who has completed the equivalent of at least one year of college. 2) a degree-seeking graduate student enrolled in a journalism or communications-related program at a college or university. 3) a recent graduate from a journalism or communications-related program at a college or university.

• Preference will be given to more advanced students.

Relevant qualifications: 

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including knowledge and ability to apply proper grammar, spelling and punctuation

• Strong news writing and editing skills, including familiarity with Associated Press style

• Understanding of basic journalism concepts, including libel law and news judgment

• Ability to work independently and also within a team environment

• Proven track record of professionalism, dependability and punctuality 

• Knowledge of basic journalism tools, such as familiarity with WordPress, Photoshop, popular social media platforms, etc. 

• Ability to maintain a high degree of confidentiality and responsibility

• Attention to detail and thoroughness in completing assigned duties

Preferred qualifications: 

• Spanish fluency is a plus

NEWSWELL is an Equal Opportunity Employer