Be a college junior, senior, or graduate student enrolled in a degree program by the application deadline.
Have a portfolio demonstrating experience with news graphics.
Be proficient in the Adobe Suite, particularly Adobe Illustrator.
Have familiarity with obtaining and analyzing data for visual storytelling.
Have a commitment to accuracy, clarity, and journalistic rigor.
Submit a résumé, an autobiographical essay of no more than 500 words, and a portfolio containing 5 to 10 examples of work with an explanation of the applicant’s role in each clip.
Responsibilities
Collaborate with reporters and editors to create graphics that clarify complex topics and strengthen stories.
Pitch, report, and execute visual stories from reporting and data analysis through design and final production in collaboration with the Graphics team and the broader newsroom.
Use writing, reporting, charting, mapping, and data visualization to create engaging stories.
Report and write articles, edit copy, take photographs, shoot and edit video, create graphics, produce audio, design across multiple platforms, develop audience strategy, and perform data analyses.
Desired Qualifications
Strong news instincts and the ability to make complicated topics clear, engaging, and visually compelling.
Experience identifying stories best told through data visualization, maps, illustrations, or interactive experiences.
Excellent communication skills and a collaborative approach to newsroom work.
Application Instructions
Please list all professional experience and explain any gaps in employment history. All of your application materials, which may include PDF files of work samples and/or links to audio, video, photography or graphics, must be uploaded to the field labeled Resume/Cover Letter/Work Samplesto be considered for the position.
Join the future of news
We’re on a mission to deliver riveting storytelling for all of America. At The Washington Post, you’ll help reinvent news. Our work is driven by a deep investigative spirit and enhanced by innovation to bring audiences closer to the stories that matter most.
About Our Team
The Washington Post is powered by the passion and talent of our people. It takes all of us to reinvent news. Beyond our award-winning News and Opinions teams, we work across many departments, including Brand & Events, Communications, Customer Care, Engineering & Product, Finance, Human Resources, Legal, Marketing & Advertising, Print Operations, and Sales.
Why This Role Matters
The Washington Post is seeking college juniors, seniors and graduate students for the newsroom’s flagship summer internship program. Our interns report and write articles, edit copy, take photographs, shoot and edit video, create graphics, produce audio, design on multiple platforms, develop audience strategy and do data analyses. They work alongside and learn from award-winning journalists, and we treat them as staff members during their internship.
What Motivates You
You have strong news instincts and are driven to make complicated topics clear, engaging and visually compelling.
You enjoy proactively identifying stories that are best told through maps, data visualization and interactive formats.
You thrive in a collaborative, deadline-driven newsroom environment and enjoy solving editorial and technical challenges.
You are curious and want to learn how to apply creative and technical skills to a range of assignments.
You are eager to work across a large, ambitious, collaborative newsroom.
How You’ll Support the Mission
You will collaborate with reporters and editors to create graphics that clarify complex topics and strengthen stories.
You will pitch, report and execute visual stories in a fast-paced newsroom environment from reporting and data analysis through design and final production in collaboration with the Graphics team and the broader newsroom.
You should be able to utilize the entire storytelling toolbox – writing, reporting, charting, mapping and data visualization – and know how to weave it all together to tell engaging stories.
The Skills and Experience You Bring
You must be a college junior, senior or graduate student enrolled in a degree program by the application deadline, which is noon Eastern time on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026.
You enjoy identifying stories best told through data visualization, maps, illustrations or interactive experiences and have a portfolio demonstrating experience with news graphics.
You must be proficient in the Adobe Suite, particularly Illustrator and have familiarity in obtaining, and analyzing data for visual storytelling.
You have excellent communication skills and a collaborative approach to newsroom work.
You have a commitment to accuracy, clarity and journalistic rigor.
Applications should include a résumé, autobiographical essay (which should be no more than 500 words), and a portfolio that includes 5 to 10 examples of your work. Please include an explanation of your role in each clip. The portfolio should be contained in one PDF or link on your application form. Cover letters are not required. Materials can be submitted as links or documents to the same field labeled Resume/Cover Letter/Work Samples.
The deadline to apply is noon Eastern on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026.
This position will be based out of our Washington, D.C., headquarters. Interns are paid $1021.13/week.