Hamilton Reporter Journalism Intern

Job Description

The Hamilton Spectator is offering a one-year reporter internship in its digital-first newsroom. This 12-month contract is designed to be a launchpad for your career, immersing you in a real-world newsroom and providing you with meaningful hands-on reporting experience to build your portfolio.

The Spectator is a hybrid work environment – working from home, in the community and the office. Reporters would be expected to live in or near the community to travel to the office and to assignments.

What You Will Do

• Work directly with editors and full-time staff to produce original, high-quality, trustworthy journalism for our communities.
• Provide boots-on-the-ground coverage of the community by attending events, breaking news and conducting interviews in person.
• Participate in our established training program to develop your reporting and research abilities in a supportive environment.
• Attend virtual and in-person team meetings and actively contribute to content planning discussions.
• Use your news judgment to translate complex information into digestible stories that matter to our readers.
• Monitor social media and community networks to identify breaking news and trending local stories.

Qualifications

• You must be a current or graduating post-secondary student who is eligible to work in Ontario.
• Annual internship runs from September 2026 to August 2027.
• You must be able to work full-time hours, which may include weekend, evening and statutory holiday shifts, for the entire program.
• You must have access to reliable personal transportation.
• This role is represented by Unifor Local 87-M.
• Please note: We cannot accommodate volunteers, short-term placements, or co-op students.

How to apply

To apply, upload a single PDF to our online portal containing:

• two original story pitches tailored to our audience. Each pitch must have a maximum 150-word summary of the angle and at least two sources to be interviewed. Ensure the pitches conform to Canadian Press (CP) Style.
• Resume.
• Three published examples of hard news or feature reporting journalism:
  • Links must be accessible (no paywalls).
  • Clips from campus newspapers or independent/community outlets are welcome but blog posts, opinion pieces or academic essays are not.

Application should demonstrate the energy and passion for local news that makes you a good fit for The Hamilton Spectator.

Deadline to apply: August 3, 2026

We would like to thank all applicants for their interest in this program; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

You are

• Overflowing with curiosity and able to pitch compelling, original stories that can be told in traditional and non-traditional ways
• Passionate about local news and well-versed in Canadian Press Style.
• Motivated, organized and able to juggle multiple deadlines effectively.
• Skilled with social media tools and digital storytelling formats.
• Able to build professional relationships easily with colleagues and community members.
• Capable of working effectively in a hybrid environment – collaborating remotely and travelling within the community for assignments
• Able to produce high-quality, trustworthy journalism using excellent reporting and researching skills, including data analysis.
• Able to produce engaging multi-media content for website and social media outlets, including photo, video and audio posts.
• Data-informed: You can use audience insights to produce well-read, engaging stories.
• Ready to jump into breaking and live news, pitch daily stories and tackle general assignments from desks across the newsroom.

Compensation: $40,494.18 (Unifor Local 87-M)

Additional Information

Torstar Group of Companies is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier free recruitment process ensuring equal access to employment opportunities for candidates, including persons with disabilities. In compliance with Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and Ontario Human Rights Code we will endeavour to provide accommodation to persons with disabilities in the recruitment process upon request. If you are selected for an interview and you require accommodation due to a disability during the recruitment process, please notify the hiring manager upon scheduling your interview of your requirements.

This posting is for an existing vacancy. Our Applicant Tracking System (ATS) uses AI for initial screening and assessment; however, all final selection decisions are made by our Hiring Managers.