Reporting Intern, California;

Job Description:

POLITICO is seeking exceptional college students and recent graduates for its Spring 2027 reporting internship in Sacramento, California reporting from the State Capitol. The intern will play a critical role in our coverage of the state legislative session and the governor.

You’re an enterprising and creative journalist eager to report and write for an audience of political and policy junkies in the largest state.

• Work with our California Playbook team to write and produce our daily newsletter on politics in the nation’s largest state.
• Be involved in all aspects of content creation and production, including research, reporting, writing, editing and aggregating.
• Some of this work may occur during the early morning hours or late in the evening.
• Contribute to the reporting of a dynamic team covering policy and politics of California for both in-state and national audiences.
• Cover spot news in policy and politics in and around the State Capitol.

• A passion for politics and policy and a thirst to learn about California politics and government.
• The ability to work early mornings or late in the evening to help with California Playbook.
• Strong foundational reporting and writing skills.
• Excellent news judgment.
• Ability to work quickly and efficiently under deadlines.
• Entrepreneurial mindset.
• Proven experience in a newsroom.
• At least one professional news media internship or job preferred.

• Cover the biggest CA politics stories as they unfold, with a behind-the-scenes view of how news gets made.
• Be a full-time reporter.
• Work independently (and with your team) on breaking news, enterprise, newsletters and more.
• Report in the field as needed.
• Build your skills through biweekly intern-specific trainings, newsroom sessions and direct feedback.

• Dates:
  January-May 2027
• Pay: $23/hr
• Schedule:
  
  Hybrid, full-time 40 hours/week
• Location:
  
  Sacramento, CA
• Final date to receive applications:
  Monday, October 26 2026 at 11:59pm EST

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• 3-5 original clips to showcase your experience.

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We deliver the straightforward facts and clear-eyed analysis they need to navigate the most complex political landscape of our lifetimes. Our 1,100+ publishing professionals across the world's key democratic capitals
- Washington, Brussels, London, Paris, Berlin, Sacramento, and New York- form the world's premier politics and policy newsroom. We tell the story of how power really works by explaining who wields it and how they plan to exercise it, connecting dots others miss and delivering scoops from sources others don't even know exist. Innovation has always been a core tenet of our story.

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Today, we are a rarity in media: a growing, profitable, and sustainable news organization. POLITICO is a…