The AAJA-SPJ Emerging Northwest Journalists Internship, sponsored in partnership with the Society of Professional Journalists Oregon Pro Chapter, is intended to provide opportunities for members of racial and ethnic minority groups that are underrepresented in Pacific Northwest newsrooms.
Applicants must be a college sophomore, junior, senior or graduate student majoring in journalism or a related field, or who aspire to a career in journalism. Applicants must reside in or attend school in Oregon or southwest Washington. Applicants who previously lived in Oregon or southwest Washington will also be considered.
This year, selected interns will spend 10 weeks working full time with the news staff at the Statesman Journal in Salem. They will be provided with a staff mentor for the duration of the internship. Selected interns will be paid $20 an hour. The selected intern will also receive a $1,000 stipend to defray housing and relocation costs.
Applications for 2024 are now closed.
Testimonials
This opportunity allowed me to maximize my creativity in a professional setting while making valuable industry connections. In just three months, I feel that I have improved drastically as a storyteller and couldn’t have envisioned a more productive internship.
Matthew Park
2021 intern at KGW-TV
Despite being remote, my internship this summer at The Oregonian was one of the most incredible experiences I’ve had as a journalist. I’ve been able to write some extremely impactful stories about COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter protests in Portland during my time here, and the entire staff has been nothing but supportive. I’m so grateful for AAJA, SPJ, and The Oregonian for providing me with an internship I’ll speak about for years to come.
Celina Tebor
2020 intern at The Oregonian/OregonLive
“This internship has blessed me with the opportunity to be part of an inclusive, professional newsroom where I get to hone my craft as a journalist daily. Hearing my voice on public radio has been a goal of mine for a long time — to have that now be a reality is truly surreal. I’m eternally grateful to AAJA-Portland, SPJ Oregon Territory Chapter and Oregon Public Broadcasting for continuing to elevate diverse voices like mine, and giving me the opportunity to grow as a journalist — I hope to pay it forward someday. Thank you!”
Donald Orr
2019 intern at Oregon Public Broadcasting
AAJA Portland 