{"id":75657,"date":"2025-06-05T20:26:26","date_gmt":"2025-06-05T18:26:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/visualjournalism.de\/?post_type=magazin&p=75657"},"modified":"2026-10-09T11:54:36","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T09:54:36","slug":"journalism-internships","status":"publish","type":"magazin","link":"https:\/\/visualjournalism.de\/en\/magazine\/advice\/journalism-internships\/","title":{"rendered":"Journalism internships: how to find a placement and write an application that stands out"},"content":{"rendered":"\n \n\n
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Journalism internships: how to find a placement and write an application that stands out.<\/strong> How do you find the right internship in journalism, how do you make your application convincing, and what should you bear in mind during the internship? With concrete tips from professors and students.<\/p>\n

\r\n Jule Merx<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/div>\r\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\n \"Five\n \n Photo: Stefan Nieland<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n

Sophie Boyer and Stefan Nieland<\/strong>, students from Hannover, gain practical experience in the F.A.Z. studio. Also there: alumni Lucas B\u00e4uml (far left) and Sabine Findeisen (seated), and photographer Frank R\u00f6th (second from left). The F.A.Z. has worked with Hochschule Hannover for more than 20 years.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption>\n \n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n

\u2018A journalism internship has three aims,\u2019<\/strong> says Prof. Wilfried K\u00f6pke<\/a>, journalist, author and until recently head of the journalism degree programme at Hochschule Hannover. \u2018The first is to try yourself out in the job. Is this what I really want to do? Or did I have the wrong idea of what journalism is? Second, to test myself in an editorial environment, where different expectations come my way. I\u2019m not just there for myself, but part of a collective. And third, to get to know the industry as a system of its own. Is this the industry I want to go into?\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Contents<\/h2>\n\n \n <\/div>\n\n \n\n\n\n\n
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1. Be clear about your goals for a journalism internship<\/a><\/strong><\/span> An internship in journalism? That can mean many things. What\u2019s right for you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. <\/b> <\/strong>Find the right placement in the media world<\/b><\/a> The media landscape is broad. Get an overview so you can find the placement that suits you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. <\/span>Pay and funding for your journalism internship<\/strong><\/a> How much will you earn as an intern? Everything you need to know about money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Applying for a journalism internship<\/span><\/strong>.<\/a> Tips for a great first impression.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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5. <\/span>The interview with the editorial team<\/strong><\/a> This is your chance! How to shine in the first meeting and what to look out for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. <\/span>How to make a success of your internship day to day<\/strong><\/a> Everything you need to bear in mind during your internship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. <\/span>Reflecting on your journalism internship<\/strong><\/a> After the internship: what you can take away from it.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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1. Be clear about your goals for a journalism internship<\/h2>\n\n \n <\/div>\n\n \n\n\n\n\n

Before you apply, get clear about your expectations and interests. A journalism internship can take many forms: arts or politics desk, television or online journalism, local paper or international magazine. Do you want to write, take photos, film or create social media content? Are you drawn to investigative research, daily news reporting or digital storytelling?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018First you should ask yourself: what can I do and what do I already know? And then take the second, brave step and say: I\u2019m not doing that again!\u2019 says K\u00f6pke. \u2018We always like doing what we can already do, because it brings quick success. But the exciting thing is actually getting to know something new.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prof. Christoph Bangert<\/a>, photojournalist and internship coordinator on the Visual Journalism and Documentary Photography programme, stresses: \u2018Look for an environment where you can take on responsibility. That\u2019s challenging \u2013 but that\u2019s exactly what makes you grow.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student Monja Nagel agrees: \u2018I learned most when I was thrown in at the deep end \u2013 but had the chance to grow into the tasks.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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2. Find the right placement in the media world<\/h2>\n\n \n <\/div>\n\n \n\n\n\n\n

Your journalism internship should suit you \u2013 in terms of content, organisation and personality. Think about it: which formats do you regularly read, listen to or watch? Which editorial teams work the way you can imagine working yourself? Where do you find exciting subjects, clear positions and good stories?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018The very first step is to find out what you read and watch yourself. Which publications interest me? Are there publications or editorial teams where I\u2019d say, they do great work, I can identify with that?\u2019 explains Christoph Bangert. Questions Wilfried K\u00f6pke also thinks you should definitely ask yourself: \u2018What are the media I\u2019d actually like to work for? Just dream a little: where would I like to go? In my experience, it then works out.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Large media companies usually offer structured internship programmes, clear contacts and professional workflows. Smaller editorial teams often allow you to work more independently, with flat hierarchies and more direct access to decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Platforms such as newsroom.de<\/a> or the careers pages of media companies can help you search. Speculative applications also make sense \u2013 especially to leading media outlets that don\u2019t advertise internships publicly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Partnerships with the F.A.Z. and the LVZ<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Visual Journalism and Documentary Photography programme at Hochschule Hannover has long-standing partnerships<\/a> with renowned media outlets such as the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and the Leipziger Volkszeitung. Felix Posner<\/a>, who did his journalism internship in Leipzig, says: \u2018I was able to take pictures every day \u2013 that moved me on a lot in a short time.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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\n \"\"\n \n Student Jasper Hill at work for the F.A.Z.<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n \n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Editorial teams are looking for committed interns \u2013 and you are looking for an environment in which you can learn. Both sides have expectations. \u2018One thing is what you want. The other is what the editorial team wants,\u2019 stresses K\u00f6pke. Being aware of this is important if you want to be happy with the internship in the end. \u2018Choosing an internship isn\u2019t a Tinder date. You\u2019ll never have a 100 per cent match between your own expectations and what a company offers. If you notice that the differences are too great, it\u2019s a good idea to simply ask again what\u2019s possible.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Choosing an internship<\/strong> isn\u2019t a Tinder date.<\/p>\n <\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n \"\"\r\n Wilfried K\u00f6pke<\/span>\r\n <\/figcaption>\r\n \r\n <\/figure>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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3. Pay and funding for your journalism internship<\/h2>\n\n \n <\/div>\n\n \n\n\n\n\n

Funding a journalism internship is a big issue. Interns don\u2019t always get paid at all, and when they do, it\u2019s often too little. So think in advance about how you will finance your internship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Where there\u2019s no villa, there\u2019s no way\u2019 \u2013 that is how the author Olivier David sums up the internship situation in German journalism on \u00dcbermedien<\/a>. Working on the side of a full-time internship is hardly possible. \u2018I know people who save up so they can afford the internship. I\u2019ve also heard of students who took out a student loan to do a really great internship. But that\u2019s not how it should be,\u2019 Bangert concludes.

A study by berufsstart.de shows that most editorial teams pay between 300 and 600 euros a month \u2013 some nothing at all. There is no legal obligation to pay for compulsory internships that are part of a degree. For voluntary internships lasting more than three months, the statutory minimum wage applies. A realistic look at your financial situation is therefore essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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