Writing Intern Jobs in Florida (NOW HIRING)

WUSF News Internships are considered mentorship, working with the news staff of WUSF Public Media. The internship duration is one semester and will begin shortly after the start of the semester.

WUSF News interns are paid for their work.  During the fall semester, these are one, two, and three day a week opportunities. 

The applicant must be a student who is interested in journalism and in learning more about 

researching, writing and producing news for radio and digital platforms. The applicant should be a 

good writer, able to take constructive criticism during the editing process, and have some knowledge 

of public media's unique reporting style and programming.

WUSF is seeking several interns for the fall semester. Please indicate in your cover letter which position(s) you are interested in and why. 

Fall  internships (up to seven) include:

WUSF Rush Family Radio News Internship (one-two interns) - The Radio News internship is two days a week, 16 hours a week. Position will include researching assignments, conducting interviews, writing, producing, and voicing daily and in-depth news radio stories, and writing digital stories.

WUSF-USF Zimmerman Rush Family Radio News Internship (one intern) - The Zimmerman internship is one day a week, 8 hours a week. Position will include researching assignments, conducting interviews, writing and producing daily audio and digital stories. Students must be enrolled in the USF Zimmerman School.

WUSF Stephen Noble Digital News Internship (one intern) - The Digital News internship is two days a week, 16 hours a week. Position will include producing visual and audio material for WUSF social media sites, as well as reporting radio and digital stories that will drive web audience. 

WUSF Rush Family Florida Matters Internship (one intern) - The Florida Matters internship is two-three days a week, 16 hours a week.  Position will include researching potential show topics and guests, booking guests, screening calls, gathering and editing sound, pulling sound bites and writing and producing daily audio and digital stories.

WUSF Rush Family Bay Blend internship (one intern) - The Bay Blend internship is two-three days a week, 8-16 hours a week. Position will include writing, producing, and editing scripts and features, finding events targeting specific audiences, and helping with social media content. 

WUSF Rush Family Visual News internship (one intern) - The Visual News internship is two-three days a week, 8-16 hours a week. Position will include producing, shooting, and editing still photos and video for online news stories and social media channels, either alongside reporters or independently, as well as shooting and editing still photos and video for WUSF visual library. 

WUSF is a comprehensive public media organization that operates WUSF 89.7, an NPR news radio station, and all-classical music radio station, WSMR 89.1 & 103.9, and provides digital content online through newsletters, podcasts, and social media and serves a weekly broadcast audience of greater than 350,000. WUSF is a department of the University of South Florida, with 89 employees and a budget of $11 million, and provides internships to students. WUSF's main studios are on the USF Tampa campus, with a broadcast and music performance studio on the USFSM campus and an office and news production studio on the USFSP campus.

Dates of Internship: August 31, 2026 to December 11, 2026.. Orientation will take place at start of semester.

Average Number of Hours Per Week: 8 - 16 hours per week.

Schedule: 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. one, two, or three days a week (Monday-Friday). Radio News and Digital News internships must be 8 hour shifts. 

Partial shifts will be available for Florida Matters, Bay Blend, and Visual News internships.

Standard Learning Objectives: As a result of this position, student will be able to: 

Demonstrate basic employability skills such as: timeliness to work, appropriate dress, interpersonal communication, and time management

Receive and solicit feedback from supervisor and effectively apply feedback on the job

Assess workplace and demonstrate how personal talents, skills, and knowledge fit into the employer's goals, mission, and vision

Demonstrate their professional brand (identity)

Communicate transferable and functional skills to prospective employer
 

In addition, students will gain experience by:

Accompanying reporters in the field

Learning how to use remote recording software and field recording equipment

Learning the use of professional studios and microphones and voice techniques

Learning story development and interview techniques

Writing and producing short news stories and in-depth pieces for air

Writing solid online news stories for WUSF.org

Actively contributing news content to WUSF social media platforms

Learning photo and video techniques

Contact Information for Questions about Recruitment: Mark Schreiner at mschreiner@wusf.org

Working at USF

With approximately 16,000 employees, the University of South Florida is one of the largest employers in the Tampa Bay area. We are dedicated to cultivating a talented, engaged and driven workforce that strives to be bold. Employees excel in USF's rich academic environment, which fosters their development and advancement. In 2025, Forbes recognized USF as one of Florida's best large employers, ranked No. 1 among the state's 12 public universities. Our first-class benefits package includes medical, dental and life insurance plans, retirement plan options, employee and dependent tuition programs, generous leave, and hundreds of employee perks and discounts.

About USF 

The University of South Florida is a top-ranked research university serving approximately 50,000 students from across the globe at campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota-Manatee and USF Health. USF is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top 50 public university and the best value in Florida. U.S. News also ranks the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine as the No. 1 medical school in Florida and in the highest tier nationwide. USF is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), a group that includes only the top 3% of universities in the U.S. With an all-time high of $738 million in research funding in 2024 and as a top 20 public university for producing U.S. patents, USF uses innovation to transform lives and shape a better future. The university generates an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion. USF's Division I athletics teams compete in the American Athletic Conference. Learn more at www.usf.edu.

Compliance and Federal Notices

This position may be subject to a Level 1 or Level 2 criminal background check.

Applicants have rights under Federal Employment Laws: 

The University of South Florida is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on any characteristic protected by law.  The University maintains programs for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws.

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Applicants for USF employment are entitled to request reasonable accommodation(s) in the application process. A request is to be made at least five (5) working days prior to the time the accommodation(s) is needed. Visit the Central Human Resources ADA Accommodations webpage for more information on requesting an accommodation during the application/interview process.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of South Florida is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on any characteristic protected by law.  The University maintains affirmative action programs for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws.  This job description does not constitute an employment contract.  

Minimum: These positions require a high school diploma, or equivalent, with one year of general office experience. Appropriate college course work or vocational/technical training may substitute at an equivalent rate for the required experience.

Preferred: The ideal candidate will be an active consumer of local and national news (including NPR) and should have knowledge of or has taken courses related to journalism, communications and/or public broadcasting. Experience reporting and writing for other publications, including student newspapers and stations, is a plus. The student must have a working vehicle and a current driver's license class E.