Position Description

Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting, defending and empowering public-interest journalism, is seeking an Advocacy Intern to help the organization advance its mission.

The intern will help us relentlessly advocate for the First Amendment and the protection of press freedoms and whistleblowers by helping us research and draft articles, letters to lawmakers and government officials, social media posts and other content. The intern will also help conduct research and prepare resources that will assist our new Daniel Ellsberg Chair on Government Secrecy in leading the fight against overclassification, secretive government surveillance programs, abuses of the Espionage Act and more.

This position reports directly to FPF’s director of advocacy. We will consider strong remote candidates from anywhere in the U.S. but, if you value in-person collaboration as part of your internship experience, you should know that our office is in New York, our Director of Advocacy is based in the Chicago area, and our Deputy Director of Advocacy is based in Washington, D.C. Our intern will work a full-time schedule (40 hours/week) for approximately three (3) months from May-July or June-August depending on our chosen candidate's availability.

Responsibilities

Our advocacy intern will help us defend and protect newsgathering rights by:

• Researching issues and helping us draft blogs posts, op-eds, newsletters and social media campaigns.
• Researching and preparing memoranda and other resources for the Ellsberg Chair’s use in leading the fight against government secrecy.
• Helping us respond to press freedom emergencies, wherever they may occur, through strategizing, writing and organizing.
• Assist in championing legislation that furthers press freedom at all levels of government (and vocally opposing legislation that does the opposite).
• Pitching articles and op-eds to the media, including both outreach to media contacts and plenty of cold-calls.
• Helping us expand our audience and influence on existing and new platforms.

Qualifications

Must have:

• A passion for the First Amendment and protecting the press freedom rights of all.
• Educational background or work experience in advocacy, journalism, First Amendment law, or a related field.
• Familiarity through work, volunteer, or educational experience with one or more of the following areas: government secrecy and transparency, abuse of the Espionage Act, surveillance and other harassment of journalists, the right to gather and publish news.
• Excellent writing skills, especially in advocacy and opinion writing.
• Excellent research skills.
• Willingness to help us advocate on controversial or unpopular issues that affect the First Amendment rights of journalists.
• Willingness to work with people all across the political spectrum to achieve common legislative and policy goals.

Preferred:

• An undergraduate degree in journalism, public policy or a related field.
• Completed a year or more of law or public policy school.
• Published work (including in law or academic journals, media outlets, student newspapers, etc.) on topics relating to our mission.
• Experience working with the offices of elected officials.
• Multimedia skills and knowledge of social media platforms.

Working with us

This role does not require U.S. Citizenship, but you must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. to be considered. FPF does not sponsor employees for work authorization at this time, and the selected candidate will be required to submit proof of authorization.

FPF is strongly committed to creating a diverse and inclusive community. We warmly welcome members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including people of color, LGBTQ+ folks and people with disabilities.

FPF does not discriminate on the basis of an individual’s sex, age, race, color, creed, national origin, alienage, religion, marital status, pregnancy, sexual or reproductive health decisions, sexual orientation or affectional preference, gender identity and expression, disability, genetic trait or predisposition, carrier status, citizenship, veteran or military status and other personal characteristics protected by law.

Many people, especially those identifying as part of structurally marginalized groups, tend to apply to jobs only if they meet all of the listed qualifications. No candidate ever meets all of the qualifications, and we encourage you to apply if you are excited about the role! Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until we find the right candidate for the position.

More about FPF

How to Apply

If you think you’d like to be a part of our team, please submit your résumé, a cover letter (both no longer than 1 ½ pages), current grad school transcript, and a writing sample. The sample can include a news article, blog post, scholarly article, or newsletter you wrote or edited or a piece of legal writing or analysis.

After an initial application review, FPF’s hiring process involves a phone screen and an interview with members of our advocacy team.