News Intern - SLO Job at McClatchy in San Luis Obispo

Join us this summer as a paid intern and gain practical education and professional experience while having a great time working alongside reporters and editors in our newsroom.

You will work on stories, be assigned a mentor, and learn from experienced journalists about the ever-changing world of news.

At McClatchy, we strive to be the eyes, ears and voice of the communities we cover. We know to do this effectively takes training up a new generation of driven and diverse journalists.

Our summer news internships are 10-week, paid positions on-site that provide weekly skills training sessions and networking opportunities.

As a news intern, you can expect to:

• Be treated like a staff member, whether you are working as a reporter, visual storyteller, or audience / social media specialist.
• You will be assigned to a senior-level mentor during the internship and will receive coaching, training and mentoring.
• Work with seasoned staffers and work directly with local leaders.

The Tribune is one of 30 news organizations in McClatchy. We primarily serve San Luis Obispo County, covering important issues like government accountability, housing affordability, education, the coastal environment, major industries like tourism and wine, Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant and more. We are an award-winning organization with a reputation for accuracy, fairness, credibility and civic purpose. We emphasize a collaborative newsroom culture that fosters growth and celebrates success. The Tribune has been awarded first place for general excellence by the California News Publishers Association four times in the past six years and back to back in 2022 and 2023.

We put a premium on breaking stories first as well as investing in hard-nosed, accountability journalism that our audience can't get anywhere else.

The anticipated base pay for this position is $16.90 per hour. Individual base pay may vary within that range depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, department equity and relevant education.

Previous experience reporting and/or producing for a student or professional news publication is a plus. This internship program involves on-site work, so interns should be prepared to live near the location of their respective newsrooms.

To apply: Please upload a persuasive cover letter, resume and 3-5 samples of your best news-related work. Incomplete applications may not be given full consideration.

Deadline: Dec. 31, 2025

For questions, contact McClatchy Deputy Director of News Talent, Culture and Training Rhema Bland at rbland@mcclatchy.com.

About McClatchy:

The McClatchy Media Company features a portfolio of vibrant and trusted news, lifestyle, entertainment brands and a robust retail distribution network. Our iconic local news brands such as the Miami Herald, The Kansas City Star and The Sacramento Bee, have collectively earned a total of 57 Pulitzer prizes and are complemented by popular lifestyle and entertainment brands such as Us Weekly and Woman's World. Together, our brands reach more than 100 million unique visitors a month,The McClatchy Retail Network, our distribution and logistics arm, offers delivery to more than 56,000 retail locations weekly.

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.