Apply for The Discourse’s 2018 summer internship

Looking for a unique internship at one of Canada’s most exciting media start-ups? 

Discourse Media is accepting applications from journalism students to participate in a 3.5-month paid summer internship program focused on education reporting starting April/May 2018.

Discourse Media is an independent journalism company that provides high-quality investigative journalism about the issues that matter most to Canadians. We are building a home for new approaches to storytelling that look beyond conflict-driven daily news cycles.

Discourse produces investigations, analysis and data journalism focused on matters of public importance: gender, environment, education, urban development, the economy, politics, Indigenous issues and more. We look for gaps in reporting and pursue stories that have potential for impact. We publish on our own digital platform and broaden our reach through media partners.

The internship:

Discourse Media is seeking an emerging journalist for our 2018 summer internship program in Vancouver, BC. This is a paid, entry-level position appropriate for an applicant with journalism education or experience.

The intern will work closely with the Discourse Media team to receive mentorship and develop skills aligned with their interests and goals. The bulk of the internship will be a major project focused on education.

The selected intern may be asked to contribute in the following ways:

• Conducting background research about subjects related to future Discourse Media investigations in development, and supporting project design;
• Reporting and producing multimedia articles and analysis as part of the reporting teams on current investigations;
• Supporting Discourse Media reporters with tasks such as fact checking and transcribing;
• Obtaining and managing raw data and supporting data journalism team; and
• Supporting engagement activities, including off-line events and social media.

The selected intern may also contribute to Discourse Media journalism innovation research in the following ways:

• Conducting research about emerging new journalism models; and
• Researching and writing case studies about subjects including community-based journalism methods and impact-driven journalism projects.

As a member of a small team at a fast-growing start-up, everyone at Discourse Media is asked to contribute to a wide variety of tasks and expected to be highly organized and self motivated.

Skills and qualifications:

• Some journalism education or experience
• Ability to work with a small team, balance competing demands, self-starter
• Social media experience
• Interest in journalism innovation and entrepreneurial models
• Motivated by desire to produce impactful journalism
• Multimedia skills
• Knowledge of solutions journalism and community-based methods an asset
• Academic research experience an asset
• Advanced digital and/or data skills an asset
• Experience in data entry and organization of data sets
• Expertise in or knowledge of the education beat
• Enthusiasm to contribute to an emerging and promising future model of journalism is essential
• Must be returning to school full-time in September 2018.

To apply:

Please send your CV and a cover letter of no more than 250 words that explains why you are interested in working at Discourse and what you would bring to our team. Email your application to [email protected] by Feb. 28, 2018.

At Discourse we are committed to developing a diverse and inclusive team. We encourage applicants with a range of perspectives, abilities, backgrounds and experiences. Applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.[end]