Communications Internship – Winter/Spring 2019 new

Communications Internship – Fall 2019

Come be a part of Public Citizen’s Communications team and learn how one of Washington, D.C.’s original public interest watchdog groups spreads its messages and reaches out to the media. You’ve heard that corporations have lobbyists; we are the people’s lobbyists, representing the public in the halls of power on a variety of critical issues. We fight for public health and safety, champion corporate and government accountability, and campaign for fair trade, clean and safe energy, and consumer rights. We work aggressively to get our message out in print, radio, television and online. This is an opportunity to make a difference while getting some great experience for your résumé!

We seek a well-informed intern for a minimum of 15 hours a week (the schedule is flexible). 

Responsibilities:

• Interns will have a varied and interesting range of assignments. Key components of the job are:  
• Writing and proofreading press releases, media advisories, blog posts and articles for Public Citizen News, the organization’s member newspaper.
• Pitching upcoming press conferences and events to reporters.
• Taking photos and/or videotaping press conferences and other events, and creating videos for Public Citizen’s Web site.
• Providing administrative support with research, database management, press list maintenance and data entry, among other tasks. 
• Helping us maintain our Twitter and Facebook accounts. 

Qualifications:
Strong writing and communication skills, experience with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and Outlook), basic knowledge of the news gathering process and current events.

To Apply:

Public Citizen offers both unpaid internships (course credit can be arranged) and a small number of paid internships ($15 an hour). 

If you are applying for a paid internship, please also include an essay outlining why you want to intern at Public Citizen and any other information about you that you wish to have considered, including your need for financial support (500 words or less). If you have completed the FAFSA, please also submit a copy of your Student Aid Report (SAR).

Please send your cover letter, résumé and a brief writing sample to Angela Bradbery, Communications Director, abradbery@citizen.org, or 1600 20th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009.

Testimonials:

“My summer with the Public Citizen Communications Department did so much to boost my confidence as a writer, photographer, and activist. Each day brought a new issue to tackle, and it was great to be able to tackle it alongside those who had spent decades learning the ins and outs of working on the Hill. My colleagues were friendly, helpful, and passionate about their work, which energized me in return. Even outside my department I met a number of people who were more than happy to sit down and talk about what led them to their chosen field. I was given the opportunity to write releases and articles that I could use for future applications, hone my photography skills at press conferences, interview people who were affected by the policies we were challenging, and join inspiring rallies around D.C. I was even encouraged to take the initiative to start my own projects, one of which involved a three-day trek around the city with the DSLR camera I had trained the department to use. It was so special to have my input valued, and I feel that this hands-on experience with the daily grind of advocacy work really prepared me for working in politics or in the greater nonprofit world.”
– Emily, summer 2018

“The Public Citizen communications department will immerse you in a wide variety of assignments and activities. I did what felt like it all: media relations, writing, proofreading, research and even got to go on a few “field trips” on assignments. All of this experience has really helped me appear like a well-rounded and prepared candidate for other communications positions. Not to mention, I was able to take some of the work I did with Public Citizen and use them as valuable writing samples for my career portfolio. All in all, my Public Citizen communications internship experience was great! If I could do it again, I would! I feel as if this experience prepared me for future success and it has the potential to prepare anyone else as long as he or she is willing to put in the work and be willing to learn.”
– Brianna, summer 2016

“Interning in the Communications Department of Public Citizen gave me a hands-on experience not only of consumer advocacy but of the U.S. federal government. Covering press events and congressional hearings allowed me insight to events that I would otherwise not have had access to. The diverse responsibilities of the internship allowed me to hone skills not just in written communication, but in videography, photography, and telecommunications and feel confident in designing media strategies. The other colleagues in the communications department were not just welcoming and friendly, but genuinely interested in teaching and mentoring me. I felt well supported and well challenged. Overall incredibly useful and exciting internship; I highly recommend!”
– Molly, summer 2016

“I really liked the office dynamic and how you the staff treated both the interns and each other as friends and not just cookie cutter co-workers. It was a huge incentive to have such awesome and friendly people around me. Not only that but I learned a lot during this internship. Coming in I didn’t really know anything about communications (as it was not my major), but after realizing what the communications department does and how closely knit the entire department is with everything inside and outside the organization, it made me think about possibly having a career in this. Whether it’s something as tedious as editing papers to creating an entire press release that undergoes edits before publishing, it was a very good learning experience and worthwhile above all else.”
– Brent, summer 2016