The Flatwater Free Press, a project of the Nebraska Journalism Trust, is seeking a news reporter to join its 2025 internship class.
The reporting intern will work on stories for publication in the Flatwater Free Press and for distribution to media across the state and nation. The stories could be feature stories on important issues, or government accountability pieces. The position will be shaped around the reporter’s interests and skills. Reporting work will include conceiving of stories, backgrounding story subjects, filing public records requests, doing accountability interviews and fact-checking stories before publication, among other tasks. You may be asked to assist on production or social media.
This paid internship program gives college students an opportunity to work in the Flatwater Free Press newsroom for ten hours during the spring semester and full time over the summer. We’re seeking students who are looking for a professional-level experience and have the initiative, skills and judgment to excel.
The program will include one-on-one coaching and mentoring, but students are expected to handle stories independently and effectively in a deadline-driven environment.
Shifts, days and hours may vary. Position is based in Nebraska. It is a part time internship that is time limited.
Pay: $17/ hour
Responsibilities:
- Reporting: Gather relevant information accurately, thoroughly and thoughtfully through interviews, research and observation. Comfortable with or eager to learn records requests and data journalism tools.
- Writing: Creates clear, accurate, fair, complete, well-organized stories. Shows appropriate respect for style and grammar.
- Critical thinking: Sorts out newsworthy information, discerning what is most significant. Connects the dots – synthesizing information to make its importance clear, providing context and perspective. Challenges the prevailing view, seeking alternative explanations.
- Team-building: Works well with supervisors, co-workers, media collaborators and other partners, taking the initiative to find solutions when faced with impediments to achieving goals.
- Communicating: Communicates clearly, constructively and in a timely fashion with co-workers, media collaborators, partners and the public.
- Deadlines: Meets deadlines, effectively managing time and workload.
Key Qualifications:
This internship is offered and funded in partnership with Intern Nebraska. Applicants must meet the following criteria for eligibility:
1. Is in eleventh or twelfth grade in a public or private high school; or
2. Is enrolled in a college, university, or other institution of higher education; or
3. Is hired and begins their internship within twelve months following graduation from a college, university, or other institution of higher education.
Other Key Qualifications:
- Well-organized, detail-oriented and flexible.
- Experience with professional news. Student publications count!
- Experience performing a wide variety of tasks under the pressure of deadlines.
- Ability to communicate effectively across all levels of the organization.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills required.
- Experience in WordPress a plus.
- Valid driver’s license, reliable transportation and the minimum liability insurance required by state law.