THIS Magazine Internship

http://this.org/about/internships/

Internships

Hurry! Deadline for Fall 2009 internship applications: Tuesday, August 4!

Why be a This intern?

This Magazine is an exciting place to be. Our interns are able to see the entire process of putting together the magazine, from researching stories to newsstand marketing campaigns. Because the magazine has a small staff, interns at This Magazine are given a substantial amount of responsibility. But, because the staff is small, self-motivated interns will benefit most from the program. Past interns have gone on to positions at the Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, Now Magazine, Xtra,Saturday Night, the Canadian Forum and the CBC.

This Magazine offers two internship placements per three-month term. We ask for a full-time commitment for the duration of the placement.

What This interns do

Part of our mandate as a magazine is to foster the next generation of writers, reporters, photographer, illustrators, poets, and editors. So the interns work with the editor and publisher to make almost every aspect of the magazine happen. They help with the creative, administrative and yes, sometimes even the menial tasks necessary to putting out a national magazine. You’ll get a chance to help with assessing story ideas, fact checking, copyediting and proofreading, event planning, fundraising and learning how to run a magazine on a shoestring budget.

The internship also provides a chance to sharpen your writing skills. Bylines are expected, both in print and online Additionally, you will be given an opportunity to learn and practice key research skills (reporting, library and online background research, and more) that will serve you well for a career in magazine publishing.

The work as an intern is plentiful and varied, and so is the range of skills and aptitudes needed: the ability to produce snappy, sharp writing for stories and press releases, patience for the detail-oriented world of fact-checking and circulation, and the financial savvy necessary to pull together an event with next to no budget. And of course, publishing a small, independent magazine requires an ability to take risks and work under the pressure of deadlines.

Interns often take on projects in their own area of interest, after getting a taste for each of the areas of magazine publishing. In addition, interns will help prepare for board meetings, help with display writing (headlines and coverlines), customer service, sorting mail, updating subscriber files, running errands and some tasks like envelope-stuffing—but no coffee-fetching!

How to apply

Send us a package, containing:

1. Your resume.
2. A cover letter, stating when you are available and explaining why you would like to be a This Magazine intern. Tell us a little bit about yourself, your concerns and interests, and how your political views affect the way you interact with the media.
3. A completed Internship Assignment (see below). All story ideas remain your property. We won’t steal ‘em. Tip: When you’re trying to decide if a story idea is good (even a cultural one), ask yourself: Is it political? Will it be timely three months from now? Has this story been covered in the mainstream media already?
4. Three letters of recommendation.
5. Optional: no more than three writing samples of published or unpublished editorial or promotional writing you’ve done in the past.

Internship Assignment: Please briefly answer the following questions and include them as part of your application.

1. How did you find out about This Magazine? How long have you been reading it regularly? (Please be honest. Some great interns have just discovered the magazine!)
2. What’s the best article you’ve read in This Magazine in the past year? The worst? Give reasons for your choices.
3. Who do you think reads This Magazine? (More women or more men? About how old? What do they do for a living?)
4. What aspects of the magazine publishing business interest you most? (Publishing: circulation, advertising, marketing, accounting, production, fundraising. Editorial: writing, research, reporting, fact-checking, editing, proofreading?) Why?
5. Research is a big part of an intern’s job. Please describe any specific research experience or skills you have.
6. This Magazine is a political project, and it is also a small business. Describe any relevant experience you’ve had with marketing, money, and organizing people and projects.
7. A one-year subscription to This Magazine is $27.99 including GST. The cover price is $5.95. How much do you save by subscribing? (Express the savings as a percentage of the subscription price).
8. How would you go about figuring out the percentage increase or decrease in toxic waste imports to Canada last year?
9. Suggest a story for This & That. Describe your idea in 100 words or less, why it’s suitable for the magazine and why it’s timely. Bonus points for clever headlines!
10. Suggest an idea for an arts argument in the Arts & Ideas section. Describe the scope of the column in 100 words or less.
11. This Magazine publishes three basic types of feature stories:
    • Opinion pieces from a unique perspective about issues or individuals not usually featured in the mainstream media.
    • Investigative articles that reveal and explain important matters not previously reported.
    • Analyses of important current issues in Canadian politics or culture, written in a journalistic or literary style, supported by interviews and/or research.

    Write one brief, feature story proposal (no more than 200 words), indicating which category it falls into. As always, bonus points for catchy titles.

12. Describe your level of expertise with computers and the web. Note any software skills.
13. List five magazines or newspapers you read regularly. List five magazines or newspapers you wish you read regularly. (Don’t just write what you think we want to hear. We like the trashy stuff too.)

Any questions?

Q: Does the internship pay?

A: No, unfortunately. Although we are always looking for new sources of funding to recognize the valuable work the interns do, we can’t guarantee funding. We do strive to make sure that the internship is a useful, educational, and stimulating experience, but for now it’s a strictly volunteer position.

Q: When do the internships begin?

A: The internships start at the beginning of January, May, and September, and run for three months. We accept applications throughout the year, on a rolling basis.

Q: Can I intern part-time, or just for a month, or on some other kooky timetable of my own?

A: Sorry, due to the magazine’s publishing schedule and our own constraints in terms of staff time, we don’t have the resources to accommodate internships outside of the established cycle.

Any other questions?

Please feel free to ask us your questions about the internship program by calling 416-979-8400 or emailing Graham at editor at thismagazine dot ca.