Summer News Intern

The San Francisco Standard is seeking a Summer 2026 newsroom reporting interns to work within or across our politics, tech, or news desks. As an intern, you will write and report news stories from San Francisco and the Bay Area for readers here and around the globe. The successful candidate will identify unique story angles and spot interesting developments ahead of the competition. Our interns relish not only working the phones but also getting out of the office. Interns may be assigned to cover breaking news, but they are also expected to pitch original story ideas and produce occasional enterprise reporting. This position is ideal for a motivated self-starter who loves the thrill of breaking exclusive stories and beating the competition.

We are looking for interns who have at least one prior internship in a professional newsroom and come with strong recommendations from working journalists familiar with their skills.

Responsibilities

• Write breaking and trending news stories across a variety of subject areas, including politics, tech, and/or general news.
• Find unique angles that resonate with our growing audience and are different from our competitors’ approaches.
• Pitch feature story ideas and execute on them.
• Write engaging headlines. 
• Take basic photos and videos.

Requirements

• Proven ability to write quickly, cleanly, and accurately under deadline pressure. 
• Demonstrated ability to monitor social media, public sources, and other news outlets, making the most out of available technology to find stories, confirm facts, and identify sources.
• Excellent verbal communication and collaboration skills.  
• Willingness to learn and take constructive feedback.
• Knowledge of AP style.
• Willingness to work at least one weekend day and/or night shifts as required
• Enthusiasm for bringing fresh ideas to the way we cover news, making the best of emerging technologies, and experimenting with new ways we can attract a larger audience, in keeping with the spirit of The Standard’s innovative newsroom. 
• Spanish- and Chinese-language skills are a plus.

This is an in-office position in our San Francisco office, with occasional remote work depending on the days/times of your shifts. Start date is flexible, May-June 2026.

This internship pays $25 per hour, and may be part-time or full-time. 

To apply for this position, please submit your resume along with 4 to 6 published work samples, a cover letter and contact information for at least two references. In your cover letter, pitch two story ideas you’d be interested in pursuing as an intern—no subject matter is off limits, as long as it has some connection to San Francisco. Your pitches should explain why the stories would be relevant and interesting to readers, and how you would approach them. Your cover letter should also detail when you are available to start working, and what days and times you are regularly available for work.