Colombia Reports’ internship program aims to contribute to the development of young journalists or aspiring scholars in an ambitious, independent and not-for-profit journalism environment.
While we insist on maintaining the highest quality of work, we also insist on a work atmosphere that is unpretentious, informal, irreverent and fun.
We take on few interns or volunteers, but the ones we do are of the most diverse possible variety.
What do volunteers do?
Interns are basically full members of our small newsroom and able to gain experience through investigating, writing and editing articles on a daily basis, generally making sure the website is adequately informing the world on what is happening in Colombia.
Apart from producing the daily news based on a variety of written sources, reporters are encouraged to pitch original pieces, conduct interviews in English and Spanish, and do on-the-ground reporting.
Colombia Reports encourages pro-active innovation in reporting and publishing as long as accuracy remains as perfect as humanly possible.
Reporters will be working with extraordinary independence. We have office hours, but we don’t necessarily keep them.
Skills
If you want to do an internship with Colombia Reports, some journalism or writing experience is desirable, but not necessary. A certain level of Spanish is a must.
Costs of the internship
The internship program is free. We’re grateful for your time and energy. Take into account that the minimum cost of living in Medellin is around $600 per month. We are unfortunately not in the position to offer paid internships.
Housing
Volunteers are responsible for finding their own housing in Medellin. However, we are happy to help you find a place that fits your budget and needs. It’s important our interns are comfortable. Finding appropriate accommodation has proven easy for all interns and volunteers.
Length of volunteer period
A minimum of three months is required for interns to work with Colombia Reports. However, most of our interns stay longer in order to get the most out of their time at CR and the learning experience. If upon completing the agreed period, both the intern and editor-in-chief are happy with the direction of the volunteer’s work, the internship can always be expanded.
Arranging your schedule
We work flexibly. Some like starting at 5AM, others don’t. Our experience has taught us that aspiring journalists are ambitious enough not to be told much.
How to intern
In order to take part in the internship program just contact us with a paragraph outlining why you are interested in volunteering and when and for how long you are available. Applicants will then be selected for a phone interview with the editor-in-chief. References of current or past interns are available on request. Please feel free to write us with any questions.