Triad City Beat investigative reporting internship

There’s a great opportunity for a college student in the Triad who wants to learn the ropes of investigative reporting. We practice it and teach it here at Triad City Beat.

Not to be confused with the editorial internship — Editor in Chief Brian Clarey and Associate Editor Eric Ginsburg are finalizing a decision on an intern or two in that program, the deadline for the investigative internship under Managing Editor Jordan Green is Monday Dec. 15. If this is something you’re interested in, you might consider canceling your weekend plans and putting together an application.

Details after the jump:

The Triad City Beat investigative reporting internship is designed to give a college student in the Triad hands-on experience in assisting with research, interviewing, reporting and writing a major investigative project over the course of a semester.

Investigative reporting is the highest form of journalism, involving a forensic examination of documents and data to uncover important truths about the exercise of government and private power in society. The topics examined often have life-and-death implications for citizens, and published stories have the power to adversely affect the careers of public servants, including termination or criminal charges. Getting the story right, treating people fairly and exercising the power of the written word with care and judiciousness are sacred duties. The internship is appropriately rigorous.

Investigative reporting involves a methodical organization of information, persistence in obtaining official documents from public agencies, enterprising source development, empathetic interviewing skills, and the application of psychology to ferret out information that others do not want you to obtain.

The successful applicant will be expected to put in a minimum of 10 hours a week, and will ideally be available and prepared to contribute to all steps in the development of the story. Ability, commitment and availability of time will determine the extent of the intern’s contributions to the finished project. The aim of the project is to publish a story in Triad City Beat that is a collaboration between the internship director and intern(s) at the end of the internship.

To apply for the internship, please send your resume, one or two writing samples and a brief cover letter outlining your interest to Jordan Green at [email protected] no later than Dec. 15, 2014. One or more interns will be chosen for the spring 2015 semester beginning in early January.

Candidates for the internship will be invited to participate in an in-person interview. Please come prepared to discuss your understanding and appreciation of investigative reporting. Eagerness to learn and follow through on tasks count for more than experience or ability.

The internship is unpaid, but you will gain invaluable experience that will prepare you for a career in journalism while also being useful in a variety of other professional fields. Academic credit can be arranged, assuming the approval of your professor. Thank you for your interest.