AI Newsroom Developer Fellow

Role Overview

The Hearst Fellowship for Newsroom AI Development is a one-year program focused on building tools for journalists and experiences for readers with cutting-edge technology. The successful candidate will embed on the DevHub, Hearst’s San Francisco-based editorial innovation team, and will work on AI-assisted projects, tools and news products with our core product and engineering teams and our top metro newsrooms: San Francisco Chronicle, Houston Chronicle, Dallas Morning News, Austin American-Statesman, San Antonio Express-News, (Albany) Times Union and our Hearst Connecticut newsrooms.

Fellows will receive training, mentorship and real-world experience alongside top journalist-programmers who build interactive experiences and automation tools focused on building connections to the local communities we cover.

Hearst Fellows are full-time employees with competitive salary and benefits, including health insurance, relocation allowance and a housing stipend.

What the DevHub Does

The Hearst DevHub is a team of editorial engineers, AI developers, data journalists, interactive designers and content strategists who collaborate with local newsrooms to create best-in-class digital experiences. We make things like election results pages, AI tools, searchable databases, severe weather trackers, elegantly designed alternative story forms and whatever else you can dream up. You can learn more about the DevHub here.

What This Fellowship Could Mean for Your Future

Our goal for the program is for Fellows to earn full-time employment at the end of the yearlong term. We want to train our next builders, and then continue supporting them as they grow into our future leaders.

While participation in the program is not a guarantee of future employment, our goal is to recruit candidates who eventually will join our full-time professional staff. All of us here have an investment in your future and in the future of Hearst Newspapers.

What You’ll Do

The successful candidate will do the following on the DevHub:

• Create AI tools for newsrooms and experiences for readers that adhere to our strict editorial standards and company policies.
• Work with newsrooms on best practices for AI usage.
• Enrich existing tools and interactives with fresh approaches to workflows, data analysis and visualization.
• Innovate with new technology to benefit journalists and the communities we cover.

What You’ll Bring

The experience you gain as a Hearst Fellow is the start of a strong foundation for your journalism career. Our objective is to recruit, train and retain journalists who have experience with AI, data journalism and programming. Candidates should be college graduates with interest, experience or background in journalism and AI.

How Fellows Are Selected

Hearst DevHub team members will conduct multiple interviews and test the top candidates.

If you are offered and accept a position, you will be assigned a mentor, and we’ll help you develop relationships with seasoned professionals throughout Hearst Newspapers and beyond.

Requirements and Information

Please see our Fellowship website. In addition, candidates must be willing to relocate to the San Francisco Bay Area and work a hybrid in-office schedule.

To be considered you must submit all required documents in PDF format:

• One-page resume that includes past journalistic experience, academic major and minor, date or expected date of graduation, permanent and current addresses, email, website, and social media addresses (if applicable).
• Reference page that includes three work references including titles, email addresses and phone numbers.
• Page with links to portfolio or digital work samples.

Deadline to apply for the Fellowship program is Jan. 4, 2027.

Additional Information

• Sponsorship: This position does not provide immigration sponsorship. Applicants must have the right to work in the U.S. without immigration sponsorship.
• Accommodations: We are committed to an accessible application process. If you need an accommodation to apply, please contact [email protected]. This email address is for accommodation requests only.

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