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Apply for a Tampa Bay Times newsroom internship

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

Applications for 2025 are open through Nov. 1.

Join the staff of Florida’s best news outlet, winner of 14 Pulitzer Prizes, through one of the top internship programs in the journalism 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, a news-sports hybrid role, photo and audience engagement.

Interns receive craft sessions with our award-winning staff. They take ownership of a variety of assignments and build relationships in our independently owned newsroom. Many 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 vehicle. Reporting interns must have a valid driver’s license. Mileage to assignments 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.

Interns, like many Times staffers, may elect to work a hybrid schedule, splitting time in the office, on assignment and working from home.

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 (include three references), a cover letter and examples of your best work.  Please do not exceed the number of requested clips. Requirements vary per role. You may apply for up to two roles. 

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

Applicants will be notified of the Times’ decision by early January at the latest.

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 strongly preferred.

Apply here for our news, hybrid news-sports, data reporting and engagement positions.

Apply here for our photo position.

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.”
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.”
Gabrielle Calise
Culture and Pinellas 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: You may be assigned to cover breaking news or a high-impact beat such as government, courts, business or schools. Interns balance a mix of daily and short-term enterprise stories. They have opportunities to pitch ideas of their own. Often, they are thrown into coverage of major breaking news and play a role in reporting the biggest stories of the summer. Please include three clips that reflect your experience in newsgathering and writing. We would like to see clear and concise writing, and we also value clips with enterprise and/or accountability elements.

Hybrid breaking news/sports reporter: This is an exciting new position that will replace our previous full-time sports internship in 2025. This is an opportunity for a dynamic journalist to get experience across the newsroom, working the first half of their summer (5 weeks) on our breaking, criminal justice and environment team and the second half (another 5 weeks) with our sports team. You may cover a trial in week two of your internship and file a dispatch from the Rays clubhouse in week eight. In both positions, you'll work at a fast pace on daily coverage while carving out opportunities for features. Successful candidates may have a background in either metro or sports writing. Please provide three clips that reflect your experience in newsgathering on deadline.

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 within them and explain complex findings to readers. In addition to executing your own stories, you will collaborate with the newsroom’s talented Data Hub to further develop your 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.

Newsletters producer: As part of the engagement team, you’ll help us reach readers through email newsletters and deliver essential 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 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 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 photo director Martha Asencio-Rhine at masencio-rhine@tampabay.com.

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

See standout work by interns

Why are there so few lifeguards on Pinellas beaches?
A national lifeguard shortage, small-town funding constraints and liability concerns are all at play, according to city officials.
‘All-staff MVP’: How interpreter Manny Navarro helps the Rays’ stars
The former strength and conditioning coach translates for some of the team’s biggest standouts, throws batting practice and more.
Kids who lost special people learn to heal at Tampa Bay area grief camp
The Blue Butterfly camp helps grieving children with puppies, teddy bears and meditation. But connecting with others is the key remedy.
St. Petersburg’s ‘420′ shop promises to get you high. Is it legal?
St. Pete 420 boldly sells high-THC products with no medical card required. How does the Florida shop get away with it?
Tradition and tobacco in Tampa, a story told in photos
A look at the art of hand-rolling cigars at J.C. Newman Cigar Company.