NPR
Podcast Engagement & Digital Platforms and Curation Internship - Fall/Winter 2025
OVERVIEW
A thriving, mission-driven multimedia organization, NPR produces award-winning news, information, and music programming in partnership with hundreds of independent public radio stations across the nation. The NPR audience values information, creativity, curiosity, and social responsibility – and our employees do too. We are innovators and leaders in diverse fields, from journalism and digital media to IT and development. Every day, our employees and member stations touch the lives of millions worldwide.
Across our organization, we’re building a workplace where collaboration is essential, diverse voices are heard, and inclusion is the key to our success. We are committed to doing the right thing in our journalism and in every role at NPR. This means that integrity, adherence to our ethical standards, and compliance with legal obligations are fundamental responsibilities for every employee at NPR.
Program Duration: October 6th, 2025 - April 17th, 2026
INTERN WILL LEARN AND BE EXPOSED TO:
Join NPR’s Podcast Strategy and Digital Platforms teams as an intern, helping shape how audiences discover and engage with NPR’s award-winning content. You’ll curate content for the NPR app, produce original audio, and use data to test strategies for audience growth. After working with these two distinct but interrelated teams, you’ll have an understanding of how NPR makes content, what helps drive the success of that content, and how different platforms support engagement with the NPR audience. This internship offers a unique opportunity to explore NPR’s podcast and digital strategy while building real-world skills in editorial decision-making, audience engagement and data-driven strategy.
The first half of this internship will be with the Podcast Strategy team and the second half of this internship will be with the Digital Platforms team.
This is an NPR editorial role covered under the terms of the NPR Ethics Handbook. All editorial staff are bound by this guidance. Editorial staff are defined as staff members who play a role in shaping the journalistic or creative direction of NPR's content, including events.
Interns will have the opportunity to experience & support the work of the team in the following areas...
- Help our podcasts engage with and grow their audiences' communities
- Assist with optimizing and measuring the success of NPR podcasts on external platforms
- Pitch and help carry out experiments designed to inform podcast audience engagement strategy
- Use data and editorial judgment to curate podcast promotions on NPR One, NPR’s signature digital audio platform, as well as other NPR platforms like our newsletters, social media, and homepage
- Conduct data analysis of audio content from NPR’s flagship podcasts to share editorial best practices
- Pitch and produce original audio and digital content for NPR’s platforms
- All work of the intern is to be performed under the close supervision of the host teams.
A strong internship candidate for this role might have…
- Strong written communication skills.
- Knowledge of data analysis methodologies & best practices
- Demonstrated editorial or news judgment
- Experience creating or curating content
- Audio or video production experience is a great bonus
- Being a podcast enthusiast is a requisite; knowledge of the space is a plus
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
- Resume
- Cover Letter
- Writing Sample (optional)
EDUCATION:
- Must be a current student in an accredited degree program or a recent graduate of no more than 12 months from the month of the start of the internship.
WORK LOCATION
- Remote Permitted: This is a remote permitted role. This role is based out of our Washington, DC office but the employee may choose to work on a remote basis from a location that NPR approves.
JOB TYPE
- This is a temporary (28-week) full time internship.
COMPENSATION
- Hourly Rate: The U.S. based anticipated hourly rate for this opportunity is $20.00 per hour. The range displayed reflects the minimum and maximum hourly rate NPR expects to provide for internships across all US locations.
- Benefits: NPR provides interns with multiple benefits and amenities. Interns receive immediate eligibility to contribute electively to a Principal 403(b) retirement plan and access to the Transit Flexible Spending Account for commuter benefits. Interns working out of DC HQ enjoy free access to on-site Cigna medical providers, no cost fitness center access, as well as bike facilities and garage parking available onsite. Interns can access the Employee Assistance Program which provides confidential counseling services as well as Business Travel Accident coverage and Global Guardian membership and they also qualify for Signal Financial Federal Credit Union membership. NPR interns who work 30 or more hours per week are eligible for holiday pay. This includes pay for the company’s 10 observed holidays plus one floating holiday per year. Interns automatically earn 3.08 hours of sick leave each pay period without any waiting time restrictions and can utilize paid administrative leave as necessary. Interns have access to professional development opportunities and can benefit from flexible work hours and telecommuting options.
SCHEDULE
- Monday - Friday, 9am - 6pm ET
Applications close on Monday, June 30th at 11:59 pm ET.
Does this sound like you? If so, we want to hear from you.
CLOSING COMPLIANCE STATEMENTS
Want more NPR? Explore the stories behind the stories on our NPR Extra blog. Get social with NPR Extra on Facebook and Instagram. Find more career opportunities at NPR.org/careers.
NPR is an Equal Opportunity Employer. NPR is committed to being an inclusive workplace that welcomes diverse and unique perspectives, all working toward the same goal – to create a more informed public. Qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, age, religion, religious belief, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, lactation, and reproductive health decisions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, transgender status, gender non-conforming status, intersex status, sexual stereotypes, nationality, citizenship status, personal appearance, marital status, family status, family responsibilities, military status, veteran status, mental and physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, genetic characteristics of yourself or a family member, political views and affiliation, unemployment status, protective order status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, or any other basis prohibited under applicable law.
If you are a person with a disability needing assistance with the application process, please reach out to employeerelations@npr.org.
You may read NPR’s privacy policy to learn about how NPR may handle information you submit with any application.
Want more NPR? Explore the stories behind the stories on our NPR Extra blog. Get social with NPR Extra on Facebook and Instagram. Find more career opportunities at NPR.org/careers.
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