What are the responsibilities and job description for the Media Monitoring position at CPAC — Future of Freedom?
Ideal For
A student new to politics who wants the fastest possible education in who says what and where — and who can be counted on to deliver the same product at the same hour every single day.
The Media Monitoring Intern produces the daily record of what is being said about the organization, its issues, and its principals. This is the role that gives an intern the fastest and broadest education in the political information environment — by the end of a cycle, a monitoring intern knows the outlets, the bylines, and the recurring arguments better than most staff. Reliability matters more here than anywhere else in the department: the clips report has a delivery time, and it does not move.
Core Duties
- Produce and distribute the daily clips report on a fixed schedule.
- Track coverage across print, broadcast, digital, and social platforms, tagging by issue and sentiment.
- Pull and timestamp transcript excerpts and broadcast clips for internal use.
- Maintain the searchable coverage archive.
- Flag urgent or adverse coverage to senior staff immediately rather than holding it for the next report.
- Build weekly and monthly coverage roll-ups with volume and theme analysis.
- Track competitor and partner organization messaging on shared issues.
- Maintain and refine monitoring queries, alerts, and keyword sets.
Role-Specific Qualifications
- Reliable availability at a consistent early hour for daily report delivery.
- Ability to summarize a long article accurately in two sentences.
- Comfort with media monitoring platforms and search alerts, or demonstrated ability to learn them quickly.
- Political and news literacy sufficient to distinguish a significant story from a routine one.
Standard Qualifications — All Internships
- Current enrollment in an accredited college or university; eligible for the Federal Work Study Program where applicable.
- Senior in high school, recent high school graduate, or GED equivalent.
- Strong organizational skills with attention to detail and accuracy.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and general computer literacy.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced environment.
- Reliable, punctual, and professional demeanor.
- Discretion with confidential and pre-release information; adherence to all organizational policies, including confidentiality, data handling, and workplace safety standards.
- Prior office or customer service experience is a plus but not required.
Internship: minimum 16 hours per week, in person, Alexandria, VA. You are allowed to work up to 40 hours a week with limited overtime opportunities.
Every intern completes the program's five core competencies and attends the annual conference. Expect a written midpoint review, weekly one-on-one supervision, and a documented portfolio of completed work.
For current openings please visit CPAC.org/ApplyNow
Please note this role is open during one of the cohorts each year and may not be open for each cohort or semester depending on needs.
CPAC.org/ApplyNow will redirect you to our application portal where you can apply for open positions and is a system operated by our HR partner TriNet via app.trinethire.com