Fellow, Reporting – MPR News

Position Information:

• Start Date: January 4 – December 3, 2027
• Hours: 40 hours per week
• Location: St. Paul, MN
• Pay: $20/hour - $23/hour (salary will be based on individual's education and/or relevant experience)

Fellow, Reporting – MPR News:

MPR News Interns and Fellows play a key role in our newsroom—helping us deliver trusted journalism to audiences on radio and online, while bringing fresh, overlooked stories that deepen local coverage and expand our reach. 

As the Reporting Fellow for MPR News, you’ll be a member of our daily news hub -- what we call the newsroom’s central nervous system that keeps timely information flowing to our audiences. This team jumps on breaking news and adds timely, engaging insight to the stories Minnesotans are talking about most.  Beyond covering daily news, the fellow can expect to file in-depth enterprise stories and may develop a sub-beat or area of expertise.

Key Learning Goals:

The goal of this fellowship is to provide you with immersive learning and real-world experience through impactful work. By the end of your fellowship, you will be able to:

• Sharpen their news judgment, story framing, reporting and understanding of journalism ethics
• Learn how to rapidly respond to news and turn stories on a tight timeline
• Learn how to record, write and produce audio journalism, including newscast spots, audio features, debriefs and live two-ways, if appropriate
• Develop more sophisticated, complex enterprise stories that may involve higher-level analysis from the fellow, data and records requests. 
• Learn how to translate their reporting on video for a social media audience, if appropriate 
• Explore and develop a sub-beat or area of expertise 

Responsibilities:

In this fast-paced position, you will:

• Cover general assignment, trending stories and breaking news as assigned 
• Track and pitch stories related to topics Minnesotans are talking about most
• Develop enterprise and daily stories on a sub-beat or area of interest. 
• Tell stories for radio, web and our social channels that use compelling scenes and characters, high-quality audio and visuals, and strong reporting 
• Report regularly from the field, including recording press conferences, taking photos and interviewing eyewitnesses and community voices.

Benefits:

• Eligible to accrue sick time off
• Eligible for health insurance as required under the ACA
• Eligible to participate in the APMG retirement plan

Programming:

• Participate in robust on-boarding experience
• Professional development: on-the-job training, workforce readiness training, formal performance review feedback sessions, etc.
• Participate in brown bag sessions to gain broader perspective of the organization

Required Qualifications:

• Completed bachelor's degree or at least two years of relevant professional experience in journalism or communications
• Two years of relevant professional experience in journalism or communications
• Available full-time (40 hours/week, Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.) throughout the fellowship
• Ability to work nights and weekend as assigned
• Knowledge of reporting and journalism ethics fundamentals
• Willingness to conduct in-person interviews and talk to members of the public and public officials
• Ability to research and interpret records and other source materials as needed
• Strong journalistic writing skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• Self-motivated, resourceful, curious, creative and detail-oriented
• Past experience with audio journalism production
• Past experience in a daily news environment
• Familiarity with audio recording equipment and audio production software
• Ability to take and record quality photos and video

Next Step in the Application:

In addition to your skills and knowledge, we want to get to know you in the application process. Please include a cover letter (of no more than 1 page) with answers to the following:

• What interests you about this fellowship?
• What professional skills would you like to add to your toolbox in the months and years to come to grow in your career field?

Physical Demands and Working Conditions:

• Must be able to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Physical Demands:
  • Required to move about in an office environment and sit for extended periods of time.
  • Required to move about in the community.
  • Frequent use of hands for data entry/keystrokes and simple grasping.
• Working Conditions:
  • Moderate noise level.
  • Occasional exposure to prevalent weather conditions.

Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. 

We are committed to hiring a breadth of diverse professionals and encourage members of diverse groups to apply.

MacMillan Internship & Fellowship Program at MPR|APM

Minnesota Public Radio | American Public Media are grateful for the long-time, generous philanthropy of Whitney and Elizabeth MacMillan for investing in the future of public media through transformational internships and fellowships. Their recent grant will significantly strengthen our internship program, produce enriching programming, and prepare the next generation for careers in public media. We are pleased to recognize this generous support in the name of the program – the MacMillan Internship & Fellowship Program at MPR|APM.

Salary : $20 - $23