May 18, 2013 Washington DC 5:07 PM

VOA Internships

Are you motivated, hard-working, and enthusiastic? Maybe you should think about becoming a VOA intern!

General Information

 

  • Location: Washington, D.C.
  • Eligibility: Current enrollment at an accredited college or university, though exceptions are occasionally made for outstanding high-school students
  • Deadline: Rolling (6-12 weeks before desired start date)
  • Compensation: Voluntary and unpaid (though a transportation stipend is provided)
  • Credit: College credit is available, depending on student's school
  • Fields: Engineering, Journalism, Language Broadcasts, Public Relations, Special English, TV Technical Studio Operations, and TV to Africa
  • Benefits: Provides "real world" experience in a diverse and dynamic international broadcast organization


Interns accepted into the program will be required to submit a security form two weeks prior to their start date.  All answers must be typed. Access the form through the following link: 
http://www.opm.gov/Forms/pdf_fill/SF86_July2008.pdf

 

* Note to international students: Unfortunately, we are unable to assist in the procurement of United States visas.

 

 

Internships By Department


Creative Services

(No internships are currently available. Send materials in late July-August for Fall internships.)

  • Fields: branding, advertising, marketing, graphics design, animation and production
  • Duties: researching advertising, marketing, and promotional campaigns for different platforms; conceptualizing and producing campaign components; project planning; and promoting the Voice of America and its products
  • Interests: advertising, marketing, promotions, graphics design and animation
  • Requirements: an undergraduate or graduate student enrolled in a college or university degree program, creativity, excellent writing and communication skills, energy and initiative, ability to multi-task, ability and desire to learn
  • Application: Send resume, cover letter, and a brief, ideally pertinent, writing sample to Michelle D. Harris (mharris@voanews.com). Social media experience preferred.
 

Engineering

  • Fields: broadcasting/Internet technology, international business planning, project financial analysis, audience/media research, and geographic information systems (GIS)
  • Duties: tailored to the skill/interest level of the intern, including technical (engineering design or computer programming), analytical (data base research), or business support (international market research) projects (nb. Engineering manages transmission, program delivery, and technical support; engineering internships do not entail any work in the studio with cameras, microphones, etc.)
  • Interests: engineering, technology, business
  • Requirements: some engineering or technical background, strong analytical/mathematical skills, ability to problem-solve
  • Application: send resume and cover letter to Terry Balazs (tbalazs@bbg.gov)

Note: Engineering also offers a few paid summer internships to full-time students (U.S. citizens only) with appropriate technical qualifications.

 

 

Language Broadcasts

  • Fields: radio, television, and the Internet (in 45 broadcast languages)
  • Duties: vary with each service, but may include writing news stories, assisting in the production of radio and television programs, updating web pages, and performing research
  • Interests: current affairs, communications, international relations
  • Requirements: excellent communications skills, research skills, ability to work under pressure, regional interest, language fluency
  • Application: send resume, cover letter, and writing sample (in specific language) to jbeidleman@bbg.gov

 

 

Public Relations

(Summer 2013 Internship program for the Public Relations office is now closed.)

  • Fields:  public affairs, communications, writing, event planning, website management
  • Duties: research and draft web articles and press releases, lead VOA studio tours, communicating with outside media, event planning, and promoting Voice of America projects and programs
  • Interests: public affairs, international relations, journalism, website content management
  • Requirements: enrollment in an undergraduate or graduate college or university degree program, excellent writing and communications skills, interest in international news, energy and initiative, ability to multi-task. Experience with photography, blogging, posting to websites, or social media campaigns preferred.
  • Application: Send resume, cover letter, and a brief, ideally PR-related, writing sample to VOA Public Relations (askvoa@voanews.com).

 

Special English

(Sorry, no more internships available this year. Please do not send applications.)
 

  • Fields: radio, television, and the Internet
  • Duties: writing news and features with a limited vocabulary and reporting on special cultural events
  • Interests: current affairs, journalism, communications
  • Requirements: excellent writing skills, flexibility, research experience
  • Application: send resume, cover letter, and two writing samples (news or features items) to George Grow (gfgrow@voanews.com)

 

 

TV Technical Studio Operations

  • Fields: television studio set-up and operations
  • Duties: assisting TV technicians in setting up and operations in lighting, audio, camera control, video tape playback, and floor direction
  • Interests: general television studio operations
  • Requirements: general knowledge of and interest in television studio production, familiarity with production and technical terms, hands-on experience in TV studios/control rooms
  • Application: send resume to Larry Dorsch (ldorsch@voanews.com)

 

 

TV to Africa

  • Fields: television production
  • Duties: running teleprompter and telephone screening for live call-in shows, videotape logging, topic research, guest recruiting, and other duties
  • Interests: television production, African affairs, journalism
  • Requirements: research experience, demonstrated interest in Africa, communications skills, ability to work under pressure
  • Application: send resume and cover letter to Roblyn Hymes (rah@voanews.com). For more information see: http://www.voanews.com/english/programs/tv/65652317.html.

 

 

VOA Information Services Division

Video Library Assistant:

  • Fields:Library science, television production, collection development; special libraries
  • Duties: May include all or some of the following activities: shot-level cataloging of video content; respond to producer requests for video content; search internal database and indexes; assist with circulation procedures; assist with processing stock footage materials; assist with videotape check-in and check-out; re-shelve returned tapes; tape shifting; apply barcodes and labels to tapes; assist research staff to pull and cue video content; assist Tape Distribution crew with runs and related duties; assist with video retirement process including updating collection data and shelf-reading; assisting with re-labeling, sorting, and pairing script and other associated information with videotapes and boxing for shipment.
  • Interests: Media collection management; Current news and international affairs; special libraries
  • Requirements: graduate or undergraduate study in Library Science or television broadcasting, detail oriented; good communication skills.
  • Application: send resume and cover letter to Pam Commerford, Chief of Video Archive Service (Plenz@voanews.com)

 

 

Program Acquisitions Assistant:

  • Fields: Television and or the Internet
  • Duties: Researching, screening and logging video program selections based on program content; producing and editing new program masters for broadcast; locating and keeping track of programs to be edited, as well as the quality and services control process; following guidelines given for specific programs; overseeing script preparation for a number of acquired programs that are used by VOA language services in television programs.
  • Interests: Television production
  • Requirements: undergraduate in television broadcasting; familiarity with production and television technical terms, attention to detail, organizational skills, research experience, communications and writing skills, and ability to work under pressure.
  • Application:send resume and cover letter to Jorge Bustamante, Chief of Acquisitions Service (Jbustama@voanews.com)

Contact Public Relations

Voice of America
Public Relations
330 Independence Ave., S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20237

Studio Tour

Tours of the VOA radio and television studios in Washington are available to the public. It's a behind-the-scenes look at the largest U.S. international broadcaster. Tours are given most weekdays at noon and 3pm, and are free.  Click on the picture for more information.