PRINCETON, N.J. — The Dow Jones News Fund is offering to pay the cost of pre-internship training for data journalism interns for summer 2017 in a pilot program designed to bolster opportunities for richer reporting. Up to 16 interns can attend pre-internship training with Investigative Reporters and Editors at no charge to media outlets.
“Data journalism is becoming central to how editors and reporters on all beats do their jobs,” said Linda Shockley, DJNF managing director. “The News Fund will help students and the industry by covering the training costs for intensive instruction in this vital specialty.”
The Fund selected eight data journalism interns for summer 2016 with training by IRE, a 41-year-old membership organization dedicated to improving investigative reporting. The curriculum included SQL, Freedom of Information Act requests, analyzing datasets, creating data visualizations and geo-mapping. Media hiring those interns were the Salt Lake Tribune, inewsource, Honolulu Civil Beat, the Dallas Morning News, Barron’s, The Wall Street Journal and McClatchy Bureau D.C.
Greg Linch, a data developer for McClatchy, recently wrote: “We feel like we won the lottery with our DJNF data intern. He impressed us not only with strong data skills, but also his collegial and collaborative work style. One editor called him ‘both a leader and team player,’ which is a good way to describe his ability to find and tell data-driven stories and visualizations on his own or with others.”
Media companies are also invited to request 2017 summer interns through the Fund’s highly regarded digital media, interactive news editing and business reporting internship programs at the customary $1,200 per intern cost for pre-internship instruction.
The requested funding is passed on to universities where students are housed and taught for a week before reporting to their summer jobs. The minimum salary requirement is $400 per week for at least 10 weeks.
Media may select their own data interns or ask the Fund to choose from its nationally recruited pool of applicants. Because there will be a limited number of data journalism interns, news organizations are encouraged to file their requests as soon as possible. Click here to request interns.
College juniors, seniors and graduate students may apply until Nov. 1. Media are asked to sign up by Dec. 1 in time for the start of selection Dec. 8. Interns may continue to be assigned before training begins in the spring.
Digital interns will be trained at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism. Editing interns will train at Temple University, Philadelphia; the University of Texas, Austin; the University of Missouri, Columbia, and Pennsylvania State University. Business reporting interns attend sessions in New York City.
Several of last summer’s 96 interns have been hired for full-time jobs or extended internships.
Direct questions to Linda Shockley at linda.shockley@dowjones.com or call (609) 520-5929.
