Summer journalism internship applications due soon

If you're interested in landing a paid summer journalism internship, you better get your applications in soon!

Many deadlines have already passed, including those for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Newsweek and many other top publications with paid summer internship programs.

The good news: Some great paid internship programs are still accepting applications, including:

• Los Angeles Times, due by Jan. 1
• The Economist, Feb. 1
• New York Daily News, Feb. 1
  
• Christian Science Monitor, Jan. 1
  
• Honolulu Advertiser, Dec. 31
• The (Oklahoma City) Oklahoman, Dec. 7
• Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Dec. 31
• Chattanooga Times Free Press, open deadline
• Richmond Times-Dispatch, Dec. 22
• Tulsa World, Jan. 15
• Colorado Springs Gazette, Dec. 31
• Ventura County Star, Feb 1.
  

Paid internship to report on SF convention

Several undergraduate and/or graduate students are sought to work as reporters, digital photographers or web specialists for the print and online editions of a daily newspaper at the 2009 national conference of the American Association of School Administrators. The event is February19-21, 2009, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.

Reporters will be assigned to cover speakers and panels on topics relating to school leadership and K-12 education. Those interested in digital photography will be assigned to shoot multiple events and candid scenes each day. Students with web posting experience will help with the newspaper’s electronic edition.

Interns will receive bylines or credit lines on their work. Each student who completes the 3½ -day internship will also get a $100 honorarium and a complimentary lunch each day. A complimentary dinner will be provided if evening hours are involved.

Candidates interested should send a cover letter describing relevant experiences and interests, contact information for at least two references, a resume and 2-3 published writing and/or photography samples by December 10, 2008, to jgoldman@aasa.org.

Applications also can be mailed to: Jay P. Goldman, Editor, American Association of School Administrators, 801 N. Quincy St., Suite 700, Arlington, Virginia 22203.

For more info, contact Jay at (703) 875-0745 or jgoldman@aasa.org.

Paid photojournalism internship in Bay Area

The Palo Alto Weekly, a 37,000 circulation newspaper in the Bay Area, seeks photography interns.

Interns work approximately 20 hours per week and are paid a $600 stipend. Internships last 13 weeks. Interested applicants should send a resume and cover letter to Karla Kane at kkane@paweekly.com or call (650) 326-8210 ext. 236.

Five-month paid internships @ Consumer Reports

Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, has an immediate need for three paid interns in its San Francisco bureau. The internship is for 15 hours per week for 20 weeks at $16 per hour beginning as soon as possible.

"The intern will work closely with CU's Financial Services Campaign Team, and will be called upon to read and verify stories, communicate with consumers, as well as conduct research and write for publication," the internship posting states. "Essential to this work is a passion for consumer advocacy, good verbal and written skills, excellent interviewing skills and an ability to work well with others."

Paid internships @ SF Weekly

SF Weekly, a free alternative 100,000-circulation newspaper in San Francisco, seeks interns for its Night & Day calendar section.

Initial responsibilities include database work, entering arts and culture events for our online listings (with some 250-word bylined pieces), followed by the opportunity to write bylined pieces on arts and culture events that will appear in the paper in the Night & Day section.

Students must be able to receive course credit. Writing assignments that appear in print issues will be paid at the newspaper's freelancer rates.

E-mail a short cover letter, resume, and clips (or a writing sample geared toward what SF Weekly covers) to: Michael Leaverton at Michael.leaverton@sfweekly.com. Or mail your application to: Michael Leaverton, Calendar Editor, SF Weekly, 185 Berry Street, Suite 3800
SF, CA 94107.

Various openings @ AP's Philly bureau

The Associated Press, the world's largest and oldest news organization, has several openings at its regional bureau in Philadelphia:

• Editors
• Broadcast editor
• Assistant editor
• Enterprise editor
• Broadcast newsperson
• Multimedia editor
  

Freelancers @ York (Pa.) Dispatch

The York Dispatch, a 40,000-circulation daily newspaper in Central Pennsylvania, seeks freelancers to report on municipalities, including coverage of night meetings and other news and feature topics of local interest.

Young journalists are encouraged to apply. Send a letter, resume and writing samples to: Mark Franklin, Managing Editor, The York Dispatch, P.O. Box 2807, York, PA 17405. Or, email: mfranklin@yorkdispatch.com.

Writing Tip: Double check your facts

Double check all your facts. Don’t rely on your professor or an editor to catch mistakes.

-Mark Grabowski

Northern Jersey newspaper seeks freelancers

Pascack Valley Community Life, a weekly newspaper in northern New Jersey, seeks freelancers to cover municipal government and/or school board meetings. Many positions and shifts are available.

Paid multimedia internships @ Disney

The Walt Disney Company seeks paid summer interns for its Disney Interactive Media Group in Southern California.

Interns help create and deliver Disney branded interactive entertainment and informational content across multiple platforms including online, mobile and video game consoles around the globe.

The program runs 10 to 15 weeks and offers:

• Experience working with a global new media group within The Walt Disney Company
  
• Exposure to our business operations, technology and processes
• Opportunity to participate in division and companywide intern activities
• Business opportunity to develop professionally with exposure to senior management
• Competitive pay
• Relocation/housing assistance
  

How to write good leads

The video below explains how to write good leads in stories.

It covers summary leads, delayed-identification leads and various creative leads. The 30-minute tutorial is the latest Journalism 101 lesson I've created for CubReporters.org's education page. There are also some interactive exercises to practice your skills.

Please share it with your classmates, coworkers, professors and editors.



-Mark Grabowski

Year-round internships @ USA Today

The USA Today, the most read daily newspaper in the U.S., offers journalism internships year-round at its Washington, D.C. area headquarters in various sections: News, Opinion, Money, Sports, Travel, Life. In addition, internships are also available in multimedia, photography, page layout/design, weather, copy editing, online and the New York bureau.

Because the internships are unpaid, only students who can receive academic credit for the internship are eligible. Standard minimum work commitment is 15-20 hours, two to three days a week for 12 weeks.

To apply, submit your cover letter, resume and work samples to newsroominterns@usatoday.com. Occasionally a student can secure an internship after the initial deadlines, which are summer, Dec. 1; autumn, April 1; and spring and holiday interim, Oct. 15.

Free high school journalism camp @ Princeton U.

Economically-disadvantaged high school juniors can learn about journalism at a free 10-day summer camp at Princeton University in New Jersey.

During the eight years the Princeton University Summer Journalism Program has been in existence, students have been taught by journalists from the New York Times, Washington Post, Philadelphia Inquirer, Miami Herald, New Republic and The New Yorker.

Past student activities have included covering the Yankees, Mets, Jets and Liberty games and holding a press conference with New Jersey's secretary of state. They've also met with Princeton University's president and dean of admissions. They've received counseling on their college applications from the university's staff, which consists of Princeton University alumni and undergraduates; and they've publish their own newspaper.

To be eligible for the program, students must meet the following qualifications:
- They must currently be juniors in high school.
- They must live in the continental United States.
- They must have at least an unweighted 3.5 grade point average (out of 4.0).
- They must have an interest in journalism.
- The combined income of their custodial parent(s)/guardian(s) plus child support payments, if any, must not exceed $45,000.

The program is in early August. Applications are due by January 23, 2009. All application materials—as well as additional information about the program—are available at www.princeton.edu/sjp. For more information, e-mail sjp@princeton.edu.

Internship @ Huffington Post

The Huffington Post, a popular news website with a liberal perspective, has an immediate opening for a reporting/editorial intern in its Washington, D.C. office. The intern will "do extensive researching, writing, editing, fact-checking, monitoring of news stories, and other tasks as assigned."

E-mail cover letter and resume to jobs@huffingtonpost.com.

Paid internships @ Chicago Public Radio

Chicago Public Radio, a.k.a. WBEZ 91.5 FM, is offering four-month paid internships to a college upperclassmen and recent graduates. You'll receive mentoring, a $5,000 stipend and the opportunity to produce a news feature.

"The News Cast intern receives mentoring and training from editors, anchors, reporters, and news producers to help generate content for drive time local newscasts," the ad states. "Interns will have the opportunity to cover press conferences, write spot news scripts, and gather audio that will be broadcast during our morning and afternoon local newscasts. Interns will also be involved with researching, contacting news sources, fact checking, as well as posting news content to the Web site. As part of their final project, interns may have to opportunity to produce a news feature. "

Internships are available year-round. Application Deadlines are: December 5 for a Winter internship starting in January; January 30 for a Spring internship starting in March; and March 27, 2009 for a summer Internship starting in May or June.

Email: Internships@chicagopublicradio.org to request an application or download one at: www.chicagopublicradio.org/internships.

Paid 6-month internship @ Newsweek

Newsweek, a 3 million circulation weekly news magazine, seeks a paid temporary multimedia intern to assist in acquiring and posting video online.

Depending on experience, the intern may also assist on shoots or produce, shoot and edit their own video shorts for the Web.

The New York City-based position is for summer and can be extended to 6 months.

"The ideal candidate will have at least a year of experience in television and/or filmmaking" the classified ad says. "Strong knowledge of shooting and lighting techniques, editing with Final Cut Pro and encoding video to standard Web file formats is required. Experience with motion graphics programs such as After Effects or Motion is a plus."

Send reels and resumes to jgroat@newsweek.com.

$10,000 contest for articles and blog posts

NewsCarnival.com is accepting original article and blog submissions for its $10,000 journalism contest.

The rules include: "All submissions must somehow relate to one or more of the following categories: Sex, Entertainment, Drugs, Politics, Science, Weird, Violence, or The Apocalypse. Do not send fiction or poetry. All articles must be written in English. This contest is open to the entire world. Please let us know if you reside outside of the U.S. Do not send us someone else’s work. We will do our very best to publicly shame plagiarists. Include your full legal name. You may use a pseudonym, but we must know your full legal name. Include your article’s title and the section in which it should be published in the subject of the email. Your article must appear in the body of the email. Do not send your article as an attachment. You may send a maximum of 5 submissions. We’ll let you know if we want more."

Entries must be sent between November 12th and December 12th, 2008. Email your submissions to Contest@NewsCarnival.com.

Entry-level political journalism jobs

Politicker.com, a media company that operates 17 state political news websites, is seeking a full-time political reporters:

• A reporter based in the Washington, D.C. area to cover local politics in Maryland and Northern Virginia.
• A reporter based in Phoenix to cover Arizona politics
• A reporter based in Pittsburgh to cover Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio.
• A reporter based in Dallas-Ft. Worth to cover Texas politics.

Recent college graduates are encouraged to apply. The positions pay around $30,000 and include a great benefits package.

"We want someone with a passion for the political arena and an understanding of campaigns and elections," the job posting says. "We cover inside politics for political insiders. We're looking for people who love politics!"

Production assistant sough for Arizona TV newscast

A part-time production assistant is sought at KYMA-TV, Channel 11, in Yuma, Arizona.

Duties include: maintaining appearance of studio; operating cameras, teleprompters, audio board, and character generator; keeping microphones in working condition and conducting microphone checks for talent and guests; queuing the anchors and provide them with appropriate times; running the switchboard and constructing graphics for newscasts; assisting with shoots, commercial, and in-studio live cut-ins; and performing other related tasks to the position as assigned.

Send application to Toby Heinze, Yuma Broadcasting Company, P/T Production Assistant Search, 1500 Foremaster Lane, Las Vegas, NV 89101. You may also e-mail hr@kyma.com or fax (702) 657-3233. No calls.

Writing Tip: Be precise with word choice

Be precise in your word choice. Did the coach scream or shout?

-Mark Grabowski

Reporter openings @ Congressional Quarterly

There are several editorial openings at Congressional Quarterly, a Washington, D.C.-based media company that produces a variety of political journalism publications, including CQ Weekly, CQ Today and Governing magazine...

• Budget/Appropriations Reporter
• Finacial Affairs Reporter
• Congressional Committees Reporter
• Web Producer
  

How to quote sources

The video below explains how to handle quotes in stories, including selecting which quotes to use, punctuating quotes and properly attributing them. The 30-minute tutorial is the newest Journalism 101 lesson I've created for CubReporters.org's education page. There are also some interactive exercises to practice your skills.

Please share it with your classmates, coworkers, professors and editors. Additionally, public relations practitioners can apply the lessons from the quotations tutorial when writing press releases.



-Mark Grabowski

Paid summer internships for sports journalism

The Sports Journalism Institute is looking for 10 current college students for its 2009 internship program.

Students chosen for the nine-week summer program, which seeks to improve diversity in the sports media, will attend classes for a week at the Poynter Institute in Florida and then be placed in paid summer internships for eight weeks at newspapers throughout the United States. They'll also receive a $500 scholarship.

The application deadline is December 5th. Information and the application are at www.sportsjournalisminstitute.org.

Get paid to cover college football bowl games

Kickoff-Time.com, a new website devoted to covering pro and college football, is seeking paid freelance journalists to cover the University of Alabama Crimson Tide, the GMAC Bowl and/or the Papajohns.com Bowl.

"We seek someone who can help our readers and fans get ready for the game by writing features on the teams involved and giving outside readers a sense of what is happening around town and sending, possibly posting, digital pictures of the teams, fans, etc. ," the job posting says.

To apply, send sample stories and photos to jobs@kickoff-time.com.

CBS News offers year-round internships

CBS offers year-round news internships at its various television and radio news shows.

Interns' duties include logging tapes, coordinating script, researching, conducting preliminary interviews, assisting during shoots, selecting footage, answering viewer mail and performing clerical duties.

The educational program is unpaid and open to students who are currently attending an accredited college and have achieved junior or senior status are eligible.

Participants must have good computer skills, excellent written and verbal communication abilities and knowledge of current events. A 3.0 GPA or above is recommended.

Placement possibilities include Evening News, 60 Minutes, 48 Hours, The Early Show, Sunday Morning, News Productions, Newspath, Newspath Sports, Radio News, Press Office, Face the Nation, Weekend News, News Marketing, Political Unit, Legal Unit, Investigative Unit, CBS News on LOGO and Broadcast Marketing.

Locations include NY, DC, LA, Miami, Atlanta, Houston, London, Tokyo and Beijing. Fall and spring interns are accepted on a rolling basis. The summer program selects and assigns students on a first-come, first-served basis; summer applications will not be accepted after February 28 of each year.

To apply, send your resume to Katie Curcio at cc5@cbsnews.com.

5-month paid photojournalism internship

Sidney Daily News, a 12,000-circulation daily newspaper in Midwest Ohio, is offering a five-month paid photojournalism internship.

The intern will have the same responsibilities as a full-time staff photographer. Daily assignments will include features, spot news, high school sports, photo stories/pages, and online media. Knowledge of Soundslides is a plus.

The internship is open to current students and recent graduates. It pays $330 per week. The position will run from January through the end of April/beginning of May. Start and end dates are flexible.

The application deadline is November 19. Send resume with cover letter, and a portfolio on CD to: The Sidney Daily News c/o Erin Pence PO Box 4099 1451 N. Vandemark Rd Sidney, Ohio 45365. For more info, e-mail to Erin Pence at epence@sdnccg.com Please no calls, e-mails are welcome.

Online news producer @ Palm Beach Post

The Palm Beach Post, a 175,000-circulation daily newspaper in Florida, is seeking someone with both journalism and multimedia skills to handle its website. If you're a young journalist who is proficient in HTML, CSS and Flash, you should apply.

Job duties include "updating news home page, writing sharp, crisp and engaging headlines, and updating other pages on the site as needed. This person would be involved in occasional multimedia packages and would edit and post video and audio as needed."

Send resume and info to Deputy Online Director Eric Weiss, Palm Beach Post, 2751 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach, FL 33405 or eric_weiss@pbpost.com.

Statehouse correspondent for large Penn. paper

The Harrisburg Patriot-News, a 100,000 circulation daily newspaper, is seeking a reporter to cover state politics, locally-related Washington politics, and write other high-impact enterprise stories about central Pennsylvania and its residents.

"We don't want process stories," the job posting states. "We want a reporter who can break news on the Web and write interesting, in-depth stories for print. This reporter must be comfortable writing analysis and opinion. We want someone who will ask themselves why a reader would care about an issue and write a dynamic story with that in mind. Beyond politics, this reporter will also tackle high-profile enterprise relating to just about any local issue -- or sometimes will simply be asked to jump into the story of the day. "

Send resumes and clips to Executive Editor David Newhouse at dnewhouse@patriot-news.com or The Patriot-News, 812 Market St., Harrisburg PA 17101.

Free journalism conference on crime

Applications are being accepted for a two-day conference in New York on covering crime.

Fifteen journalists will be awarded fellowships to attend the conference, on February 2nd and 3rd, at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

"We are seeking applications from journalists writing or broadcasting in a variety of beats (education, politics, health, crime, courts, etc.) to submit project/research ideas based on the major theme of the symposium: key criminal justice challenges facing the nation," according to organizers of the 4th Annual John Jay College /H.F. Guggenheim Conference on Crime in America.

Possible proposal topics include: crime and punishment (sentencing; prisons); science and crime (forensic issues, etc.); issues linking crime with environment, the economy, urban affairs or education trends; race and criminal justice; juvenile justice; homeland security and civil liberties; politics of crime; new crime prevention and policing strategies, etc.

Applications should focus on the intersection of reporters' assigned beats with criminal justice, and be related to work in progress or proposed work. The project should be supported by a senior editor, with a letter attesting to their commitment.

Fellows will be required to attend both days of the conference in its entirety. Fellows from outside the New York area will be an awarded an all expense-paid trip to NYC for three days. In lieu of travel expenses, New York-region journalists will be awarded a $500 stipend to be used towards their proposed news projects. Meals and local travel will be provided for all Fellows for the duration of the symposium.

Applications will consist of a 300-word biography, a 300-word project pitch and a supporting letter from editor. The deadline to apply is December 12. For more info, contact Cara Tabachnick at (212) 484-1175 or ctabachnick@jjay.cuny.edu.

Writing Tip: Leave your opinion out of your story

Don't put your opinions or judgments in your story. Stick to facts.

NOT: In the end it was better for her to quit her job.

INSTEAD: In the end, she quit her job.

-Mark Grabowski

New week-long health journalism fellowship

A new fellowship program will enable 10 journalists to spend a week studying a variety of public health issues at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in early 2009.

“While not specifically for young journalists, they would certainly benefit from it - a week at the CDC learning about public health and meeting new sources,” e-mails Pia Christensen of the Association of Health Care Journalists, which is co-sponsoring the program along with the CDC.

The AHCJ-CDC Health Journalism Fellowships “will expose the selected journalists to sessions on epidemiology, global disease prevention efforts, pandemic flu preparedness, climate change, vaccine safety, obesity, autism and more,” according to organizers. “Fellows will tour the CDC director's National Emergency Operations Center, meet new sources on policy and research and learn how to tap the agency's abundant resources to produce better stories.”

The fellowships are open to professional journalists working in the United States and provides for travel, lodging and meals. The training will take place Feb. 8-13, 2009 at CDC's Atlanta and Chamblee campuses. Fellowship applications can be completed at www.healthjournalism.org/cdcfellowship and are being accepted until Dec. 29. Earlier applications are encouraged.

-Mark Grabowski

Agence France-Presse seeks U.S. stringers

Agence France-Presse, a worldwide news wire service, seeks stringers in San Francisco and Hawaii.

"We’re looking for motivated reporters who can work quickly, write cleanly and get to the heart of the story," the ad says. "You have to be a versatile all-rounder who is comfortable covering everything from plane crashes or natural disasters to news features that would be of interest to an international audience."

Send a resume and five clips to West Coast Bureau Chief Rob Woollard at robert.woollard@afp.com.

Agence France-Presse is the world's oldest newswire with journalists in 165 countries. The news service publishes stories worldwide in English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Arabic, Russia, Japanese and Chinese. Its stories and photos reach millions of people every day through tens of thousands of newspaper, radio, and television and magazine clients.

Paid internships @ Student Press Law Center

If you're interested in news writing and media law, consider a paid internship at the Student Press Law Center.

SPLC, an organization dedicated to protecting high school and college press freedom, has paid internships year-round in its Washington, D.C.-area office. College students, graduate and law students and recent college graduates are eligible to apply.

"Interns research, write and help edit the Report, the Center's thrice-yearly magazine that chronicles student press law cases and controversies from around the country," according to SPLC. "Interns serve as the magazine's news staff, reporting and writing news stories. Interns also write News Flashes and analysis pieces for the Center's popular Web site. Interns have followed the efforts of state legislatures around the country to pass laws protecting high school students' free press rights and covered landmark litigation by the college and commercial media seeking access to campus crime information. Their stories have ranged from exploring the impact of school violence on students' free expression rights to antagonism between the student media and the NCAA."

Full-time spring and fall school semester interns receive a living expense stipend of $3,000 and full-time summer interns receive a stipend of $2,300 and may be eligible for a $700 scholarship from the Associated Collegiate Press. Many interns arrange to receive academic credit from their college or university with the support of the SPLC.

There is no formal application deadline, but applicants are strongly encouraged to apply by the following deadlines:

Spring Internship (January - May): November 8, 2008
Summer Internship (May - August): February 1, 2009
Fall Internship (September - December): July 1, 2009

Free photojournalism ethics book

What implications do today’s technological upheaval, rapidly changing media landscape, and other changes have for the future of photojournalism as a credible source of visual information? What actions can photographers, editors and publishers take to ensure photojournalism’s authority with audiences, now and in the years ahead?

Photojournalism, Technology and Ethics: What’s Right and Wrong Today? examines these questions through the prism of photojournalism’s past, present and future.

Download the e-book here.

Journalism fellowships in Latin America and Caribbean

Journalists and journalism school graduates who are between ages 21 and 35 and who wish to study in and report from Latin America or the Caribbean for one year can receive generous assistance through a journalism fellowship program.

Inter-American Press Association Scholarships provide $20,000 for Americans and Canadians to spend a year studying and reporting in Latin America and the Caribbean. In addition. Latin American and Caribbean journalists are eligible and can spend one year at a U.S or Canadian journalism school.

The deadline to apply is December 31.

Bureau reporter @ Baton Rouge Advocate

The Baton Rouge Advocate, a daily 100,000-circulation newspaper in Louisiana's capital, seeks a suburban bureau reporter.

Duties will include covering breaking news and producing enterprise stories from a suburban bureau for the daily paper and weekend editions.

The deadline to apply is November 24. E-mail cover letter, resume and clips to: hr@theadvocate.com (Subject: Bureau Reporter). Or snail mail to: Capital City Press Human Resources – Bureau Reporter P.O. Box 588 Baton Rouge, LA 70821.

Writing Tip: Avoid jargon

Avoid jargon. If you don’t know what something means, your readers probably won’t either. Explain it in terms an ordinary person can understand.

-Mark Grabowski

$75,000 environmental reporting prize

The Grantham Prize for Excellence in Reporting on the Environment annually recognizes and honors the work of one journalist or team of journalists for exemplary reporting on the environment.

The $75,000 prize is awarded to nonfiction work done in North America during the previous calendar year in newspapers, magazines, and books and on television, cable, radio, and online.

The postmark deadline for entries for the 2008 award is January 14, 2009, for books, and February 4, 2009, for all other submissions. The winning journalist or reporting team will be announced in Summer 2009.

-Mark Grabowski

Openings at New Beford, Mass. newspaper

The Standard-Times, a 30,000-circulation daily newspaper in historic New Bedford, Mass., has multiple openings:

• Reporter/paginator
• Multimedia reporter
• Sports editor
  

Paid internships @ South Florida Business Journal

The South Florida Business Journal seeks paid interns for reporting, photography and graphics/design. Both full- and part-time internships available.

The Fort Lauderdale-based weekly newspaper is known for aggressively covering business news throughout the region both online and in print.

Interested candidates should e-mail clips to Managing Editor Leslie Kraft Burke at lkraftburke@bizjournals.com.

Political reporter @ NY publication

City Hall and The Capitol, monthly publications focused on New York politics and policy, seeks a full-time reporter.

The two publications are aimed at political insiders, and "the reporter will be expected to have experience producing and pitching the type of articles which will appeal to our audience," the job post says. "In the year ahead, with a changing state government and elections in New York City, this will be a prime opportunity for analytic and substantive reporting on politics and government."

To apply, submit three clips, résumé and salary requirements to Edward-Isaac Dovere at editor@cityhallnews.com. Applications should be received by Nov. 15.

NYC event: Web video journalism panel

City University of New York's Journalism School this Thursday night will host a free discussion on the future of Web video journalism. This is not a discussion about tools but about new forms of video storytelling.

Speakers include Travis Fox, Emmy-award winning video journalist from The Washington Post; Rachel Sterne, founder and CEO of GroundReport, a citizen journalism platform at GroundReport.com, Benjamin Wagner, vice president of MTV News and Daniel Greenberg, director of production at WNET.

The event runs from 6 to 9 p.m. in Room 308 at 219 West 40th Street (between 7th & 8th Avenues) in New York.

The event is free and open to the public. However, if you are not a currently affiliated with CUNY, please fill out a reservation form:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=p7DguHQAdPR6OzLbBYrPpaA&hl=en
(space is limited).

For additional info, e-mail Prof. Sandeep Junnarkar at sandeep.junnarkar@journalism.cuny.edu.

Paid summer journalism internship in Bismarck, ND

Bismarck Tribune, a 30,000 circulation daily newspaper in North Dakota's capital city, seek a paid summer intern.

"The Tribune will consider applicants for sports, general reporting, copy desk or a combination of duties," the posting says. "We will hire the best candidate. Tribune interns are part of the newsroom staff and share in regular assignments."

The summer internship is 40 hours per week for three months and includes some weekend work. It pays $10 an hour.

To apply, post resume, references, samples of work and what position you prefer at www.bismarcktribune.com and click on jobs and "Tribune job opportunities," or enter www.apply-to.com/job2543633 in your browser.

The application deadline is January 15. If you have any questions, call City Editor Steve Wallick at 1-888-708-2247 or e-mail steve.wallick@bismarcktribune.com.

NYC event: All-star discussion on new media

Join Columbia Journalism School and the Hearst Foundation next week for their annual look at the changing profession of journalism , with an emphasis on new media and online journalism.

"Changing Media Landscape, 2008" is from 6:30-9:30 p.m. on November 11 at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism in New York.

The event will feature a discussion led by six all-star media influencers: Sewell Chan, blogger/bureau chief of the New York Times "City Room" blog; David Cohn, founder of Spot.us, a new crowdfunding investigative journalism project; Adriano Farano, executive editor of CafeBabel.com - the first multilingual European current affairs online magazine; Erica Smith, news designer for St. Louis Post-Dispatch and "Paper Cuts" blogger; and Jacob Weisberg, chairman and editor-in-chief of Slate Group.

"This is a different kind of panel," e-mails Sree Sreenivasa, Dean of Student Affairs and new media professor at Columbia's journalism school, "with a real conversation among the participants and audience - with no PowerPoint in sight."

The event is free and RSVP is not required. A live and archived webcast of the event will be available at http://mogulus.com/columbiajournalism

Entry-level positions @ NewsHour with Jim Lehrer show

The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, an evening TV program on PBS, seeks a desk assistants to help produce its show. The six-month entry-level positions provide practical experience in broadcast journalism. It is based in the Washington, D.C. area, pays $9 per hour and may include some overtime pay.

"The DAs are exposed to all aspects involved in producing a nightly television news program," the job ad says. "This position is divided into rotations among the different units that compose the NewsHour. The DAs also act as support staff for Senior Producers, Associate Producers and Reporters and Production Assistants."

Send a resume, cover letter and NewsHour Desk Assistant application (available on our website or by emailing mfinnegan@newshour.org to requent one). Materials may be sent by email or by snail mail to:

Desk Assistant Coordinator
The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
3620 S. 27th Street
Arlington, VA 22206

Paid reporting internships @ MLB.com

MLB.com, the website of Major League Baseball and its teams, offers 30 reporting internships to aspiring sportswriters. The summer internships are available to college and graduate students, run a minimum of 10 weeks, and pay $500 per week.

"These internships are designed to give associates the full range of experiences that comes with covering a professional team," according to the posting. "Each associate will work closely with a site reporter to give visitors to a team’s Web site all the information they need to follow the team from Opening Day to season’s end. Each Major League club will have one associate reporter."

The application deadline is November 30. Please mail all internship applications to:

Bill Hill
Assistant Managing Editor/MLB.com
Attn: Internship Application
14825 N. 97th Place
Scottsdale, AZ 85260

If you have any questions, contact Bill Hill at bill.hill@MLB.com and put the words "Internship Info" in the subject line.

New health news service hiring journalists

If you're looking for a reporting job covering health and medicine, you might want to send a resume to Kaiser Family Foundation, which is launching a news service covering health policy.

"Over the next several months, a team of full-time journalists will be hired and top freelance journalists will be recruited to write stories and series for distribution" through Kaiser Health News, according to the news release.

The news service will be headquartered in Washington, D.C., and overseen by top journalists from the Wall Street Journal and Congressional Quarterly.

All news content will be available for free on a new website, www.kaiserhealthnews.org, expected to go live in early 2009. KHN will also partner with news organizations to jointly produce and publish articles, and will provide free content for syndication to news organizations in the U.S. and around the world.

"The goal of the new effort is to provide in-depth coverage and news at a time when cash-strapped news organizations are being forced to scale back their efforts in this crucial area," the news release says.

-Mark Grabowski

Openings @ Lousiville Courier-Journal

The Louisville Courier-Journal, a 220,000 circulation newspaper in Kentucky, has the following openings:

• COLLEGE REPORTER: In the short term, will serve as the back-up reporter on the Louisville and Kentucky beats, primarily on basketball and football. Will also include some non-revenue sports and general assignment work. However, we have been considering splitting up U of L football and basketball, which would result in an additional beat job. We’re looking for a seasoned college reporter who is adept at everything from game stories to take-out features, who will pay attention to athletic department finances as well as free-throw pecentages, who can schmooze boosters and trustees as well as assistant coaches. Prefer three to five years beat reporting experience at a medium-sized daily.

• DESIGNER/COPY EDITOR: We have full-time designers and copy editors. We need someone who can thrive and supervise in both areas at night and who can oversee the night desk at least a few times a week. Copy editing skills must go beyond editing for grammar and style. We’re looking for someone who can also work with reporters on content and structural issues both in special sections and in nightly trouble-shooting. Prefer five years desk experience at a medium-sized daily.

Send resume and clips to:
Harry Bryan, Sports Editor
525 W. Broadway
The Courier-Journal
Louisville, Ky. 40202
hbryan@courier-journal.com

Website seeks paid freelance sports journalists

About.com, a subsidiary of the New York Times Co., is seeking part-time writer-experts to produce and maintain sports guides for its website. You'll build and maintain a GuideSite, a topical section of About.com that contains articles, reviews, a blog, a discussion forum and a bio page about you. Along with a base payment of $725 a month, About.com pays based on page views. Some writers make up to $100,000 per year.

Writers are needed to specialize in the following topics:

• martial arts
• mountain biking
• sailing
• volleyball
• waterskiing / wakeboarding
• world soccer

Visit http://beaguide.about.com to learn more about About.com, see a full list of available topics, and to submit an application.

Investigative reporter @ Sacramento Bee

The Sacramento Bee, a 270,000-circulation daily newspaper in California's capital, seeks an investigative reporter to focus on the region and the state as a whole.

"Our goal is short- and long-term investigations that make a difference in the lives of our readers and that cause change," the job ad says. "This reporter also would weigh in on deeper reporting attached to breaking news, with an emphasis on digging up stories and angles exclusive to The Bee."

Interested applicants should send a cover letter, resume, references and 6-10 clips showing versatility and initiative, preferably via online links, to Amy Pyle, The Bee's Investigations and Projects Editor, at apyle@sacbee.com.

Internships @ The Hollywood Reporter

The Hollywood Reporter, a major trade publication of the film industry, is currently seeking multimedia interns in its Los Angeles and New York City offices. Internships are available year-round and include reporting opportunities. The part-time positions are unpaid, but offer college credit.

General duties include: photo processing; newsletter assembly; loading of news, feature, review, blog and video content onto thr.com; updating internal and external calendars and distributing calendar info to department; handling regular news columns such as casting roundups, executive roundups and the weekly report on MPAA film ratings; chart and data work; scanning wires and sibling sites for relevant content; general assignment writing, editing, researching and proofing; online marketing (sending links or posting on related web sites); video editing and production assistance; minimal administrative support for the editor.

2-month journalism fellowship on science & religion

Applications are currently being accepted for a two-month paid journalism fellowship that focuses on science and religion issues.

The 2009 Templeton-Cambridge Journalism Fellowships in Science and Religion enables 10 print, broadcast or online journalists to pursue an intensive two-month course of study at the University of Cambridge featuring eminent, well known authorities in the field. Fellows are paid a stipend in addition to travel expenses to Cambridge.

"The fellowship, now in its fifth year, seeks to promote a deeper understanding and a more informed public discussion of the interface of science and religion,"according to organizers. "Potential areas of study include Islam and science, neuroscience, cosmology, quantum uncertainty, multiverses, the New Atheism and spirituality and health."

The awards are open to all journalists with a minimum of three years’ experience, though priority will be given to mid-career and senior journalists. Application deadline is Monday, December 15, 2008.

Writing Tip: Avoid run-on sentences

Avoid long sentences.

These are also known as "run-on" sentences because they keep running on and on. Even if your sentence is well-written and correctly punctuated, it's still difficult for readers to follow. After 25 or so words, readers begin getting lost in a sentence.

So, if you have a sentence that's over 30 words, consider rewording it or breaking it down into two separate sentences. Also, mix up the length of your sentences. Have short ones, medium-sized ones and longer ones.

-Mark Grabowski