Apply for a Tampa Bay Times newsroom internship

Everything you need to know about the Times’ summer internship program, with openings in news, data reporting, photo, sports and engagement.

NOTE: Applications for 2024 summer internships are now open. The deadline to apply is Nov. 1 at 5 p.m. EDT.

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 news, data reporting, 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, graduate student or recent graduate. 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.

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 $700 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.

The deadline to apply is Nov. 1 at 5 p.m. EDT.

Clips should be legible and accessible. They should be published work. Links are acceptable, but please provide a login if there is a paywall. PDFs are preferred.

To apply for positions in news, data reporting, sports or engagement, use this link.

To apply for a position in photo, use this link.

We will notify applicants of their status by mid-January.

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

Ian Hodgson

Data reporter, education

Data intern 2020

Queen's University and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism

“As an intern you're immediately treated like a member of the newsroom. I was trusted with covering COVID-19 at the height of the pandemic, one of the most important beats at the paper. That trust pushed me to be a better reporter, a better writer and to sharpen my technical skills quickly. My editor and mentor encouraged me to take big swings and helped me get hard stories across the line.”

Romy Ellenbogen

Tallahassee correspondent

News 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.”

Ian Hodgson

Data reporter, education

Data intern 2020

Queen's University and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism

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.”

Job descriptions

News reporter: Your job could include covering breaking news, community news features or beats such as government, courts, business and schools. These interns join topic-based reporting teams. They balance a mix of daily stories, compelling deeper dives and short-term enterprise stories, both chasing urgent assignments and pitching their own pieces. 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.

Data reporter: Elevate classic news reporting with exciting, innovative data journalism. You’ll use coding and visualization tools to help track public data and documents, find the news in them and explain complex findings to readers. In addition to executing their own stories, data reporting interns will collaborate with the newsroom’s Data Hub to further develop their skills. Please include a set of three clips (either documents or working links) that showcase both traditional reporting and data analysis or visualization skills. Link to any relevant portfolio or repo pages in your resume or cover letter.

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.

Newsletters producer: As part of the engagement team, you’ll help us reach readers through email newsletters, bringing essential news and top stories straight to people's inboxes. You’ll write for our flagship DayStarter newsletter, build and edit other newsletters, craft promotional campaigns and collaborate with newsroom teams to test ideas. This exciting role gets our work in front of more readers and deepens our connection to our community. Other responsibilities include managing social media, push alerts and the homepage as needed.

Please submit six to 10 newsletter or social media clips in one document. Links are preferred, but screenshots are acceptable for expired content. Experience crafting visuals such as social graphics 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 and 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.