Apply for a Tampa Bay Times newsroom internship

Everything you need to know about the Times’ summer internship program, with openings in news, features, photo, sports and engagement. Now accepting applications for summer 2023.

Join the staff of Florida’s best newspaper, winner of 14 Pulitzer Prizes, through one of the top internship programs in our industry.

Our summer interns, paid weekly, spend 10 weeks gaining real-world experience alongside mentors, editors and reporters who work with them as equals.

We offer positions in metro news, features, sports, photo and audience engagement.

Interns receive craft sessions with our award-winning staff. They take ownership of a wide variety of assignments and build relationships in our independently owned newsroom. Around 20 current staffers started here as interns.

The details

ELIGIBILITY

You must be a college undergraduate or graduate student. Top candidates for this competitive program have generally been juniors, seniors and graduate students who have completed a prior professional news internship.

We also know great journalists come from a variety of nontraditional paths and backgrounds. If you don’t meet these exact criteria but want to share with us what you would bring to the Times, please tell us more in your cover letter.

We are committed to creating an inclusive newsroom that reflects our diverse community. We especially encourage members of underrepresented communities to apply.

DETAILS

Internships run 10 weeks. Dates are flexible, but typically interns begin in early June. Interns are assigned to a newsroom in St. Petersburg or Tampa.

You must have an updated laptop and, in most cases, a reliable, personal vehicle. Mileage is reimbursed. You will receive newsroom parking credentials. The Times does not provide housing, but we do our best to advise you in your search.

Summer interns receive $525 for a 40-hour week. Interns are not eligible to receive benefits.

Interns are held to the standards of all Times staff, including ethics policies.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications require a one-page resume (with three references), a cover letter and examples of your best work. Requirements vary per role. You may apply for more than one role.

Clips should be legible and accessible. They should be published work. Links are acceptable, but be aware of paywalls. PDFs are preferred.

To apply for metro, life & culture, engagement or sports roles, use this form.

To apply for photo, use this form.

For summer 2023 internships, the deadline is Nov. 1, 5 p.m.

We will notify applicants by mid-January.

If you have questions, please get in touch. We can’t wait to read your work.

Eli Murray

Investigative reporter

Data team intern 2015

Sauk Valley Community College and University of Illinois

“I was thrilled to get the chance to work on my first big project, an investigation into the use of police resources at local Walmarts. Not only did I get an awesome clip out of it, but I got to learn a lot of technical skills and practice skills like project management and working as a team. …I met some of my closest friends to this day during those summer months.”

Romy Ellenbogen

Tallahassee correspondent

Metro intern 2019

University of Florida

“Had I not interned at the Tampa Bay Times, I wouldn’t be where I am today in journalism. Interning here not only helped me refine my writing and bolster my reporting skills, but it also pushed me to be more confident in my work. Everyone in the newsroom is rooting for your success, and you’re treated not as an intern but as a real member of the team.”

Ivy Ceballo

Photojournalist

Photo intern 2020

Western Kentucky University

“The Times helped me gain more experience covering news, sports, features and projects, which gave me a stronger foundation to continue to create work I’m proud of. … My mentor really gave me the support I needed to take on assignments outside of my comfort zone.”

Eli Murray

Investigative reporter

Data team intern 2015

Sauk Valley Community College and University of Illinois

“I was thrilled to get the chance to work on my first big project, an investigation into the use of police resources at local Walmarts. Not only did I get an awesome clip out of it, but I got to learn a lot of technical skills and practice skills like project management and working as a team. … I met some of my closest friends to this day during those summer months.”

Gabrielle Calise

Culture and nostalgia reporter

Engagement intern 2018

University of Florida

“The Times treats its interns like new employees. You’re working the same shifts that the other journalists do, without having to fetch coffee for anyone and do busy work. I got to see what working in a newsroom was actually like, and it was a great way to make connections that led to my first job after college.”

Natalie Weber

Pinellas County criminal justice reporter

Business intern 2020

University of Notre Dame

“I benefited from really thorough edits, both from my editor and my mentor, that pushed me as a writer. I received a lot of individualised attention thanks to the mentorship program and reporting assignments with experienced journalists. … I always felt that the program gave interns a lot of guidance to help us grow.”

Job descriptions

Metro news reporter: Your job could include covering breaking news, general assignment, community news features or beats such as government, courts, business and schools. You also can develop short-term enterprise stories. Please include three clips that reflect your experience in newsgathering and writing. We would like to see clear and direct writing, and we also value clips with enterprise and/or accountability elements.

Life & Culture reporter: Your job could take you to Busch Gardens to test a new roller coaster, Amalie Arena to review a concert, Comic-Con to profile a super-fan. Our Life & Culture team does it all, from music to food to the arts, plus dashes of quirky Florida history and reporting that captures the soul of an ever-changing Tampa Bay. You’ll write fast-paced news, fun features and everything in between. Please include three clips that reflect your experience in newsgathering and writing, giving priority to features clips (though not required).

Sports reporter: One day you could be on the high school practice field and the next you could be in the arena for a Stanley Cup playoff game. You’ll balance breaking news with general assignment and feature stories. You could also work on sports-related social media and video. Please include three clips that reflect your experience in sports newsgathering and writing.

Engagement producer: As part of the engagement team, you’ll share colleagues’ work, break down complex topics and converse with readers. You’ll write newsletters, craft social campaigns, manage the homepage and send push alerts for everything from elections to sports championships. This collaborative role connects our newsroom to people on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, TikTok and more.

Please submit 6 to 10 clips on one document. Links are preferred, but screenshots are okay for expired social media content, newsletters or push alerts. Experience crafting visuals such as social graphics and Reels/TikToks is highly valued. Experience in interpreting analytics is helpful.

Photographer: You will cover daily assignments, sports, breaking news and short-term projects through still photos, video and social media. The ideal candidate has a strong visual eye, is adept at gathering facts from a scene and writing concise and accurate captions. It is essential to possess a passion for community journalism, adapt to a varying schedule and collaborate with a strong team.

We assist with providing camera bodies and lenses. Arrangements can be made to use your own equipment. Candidates must be proficient in PhotoShop, PhotoMechanic or equivalent, and the most prevalent video editing software. Interns must also understand how to transmit visual content using the latest FTP technology or other cloud-based methods. For more information, contact Martha Asencio-Rhine at masencio-rhine@tampabay.com.

Portfolios will be accepted only through a link to a personal website.

Still have questions? Get in touch.