Job Description:

POLITICO is seeking a Newsroom Engineering intern for Summer 2027. The intern will help reporters and editors solve real workflow problems with practical, responsible technology, with the goal to help shape the future of newsroom tools and workflows. This opportunity sits at the intersection of journalism, product thinking, and technology, supporting experiments and internal tools that help reporters and editors work more effectively. You’ll help research newsroom needs, code real tools, and evaluate AI-assisted workflows in newsroom contexts.

You don't need necessarily need to come from a Computer Science background. If you ever written a script to scrape data for a story, built a personal site or taught yourself to code out of curiosity – that counts.

Who You Are: 

• You have both journalistic instincts and a technical aptitude 

• You like understanding how reporters and editors work, where workflows break down, and how tools can help. 

• You’re thoughtful about emerging technologies, including AI, and interested in how they can support journalism 

• You’re comfortable collaborating across multiple stakeholders, especially with reporters, editors, product managers and engineers 

What You’ll Do: 

• Own at least one scoped project that improves how reporters or editors work 

• Contribute to other Newsroom Engineering projects by writing code, building prototypes, testing features and documenting technical decisions 

• Research and document workflow challenges facing reporters and editors  

• Help identify opportunities to improve newsroom processes and internal tools. 

• Test prototypes and internal tools with realistic reporting and editing scenarios. 

• Help evaluate AI-assisted workflows for accuracy, usefulness, risk and editorial fit. 

• Participate in conversations about responsible technology usage in newsroom products and workflows 

What You’ll Need: 

• Demonstrated interest in Washington, politics and policy 

• 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 

• Familiarity with basic technical concepts, digital tools, or prototyping workflows is preferred 

• Interest in AI and emerging technologies as they relate to journalism and editorial work 

Why Intern at POLITICO? 

• Be a part of the biggest stories in Washington as they unfold, with a behind-the-scenes view of how news gets made  

• Build your skills through biweekly intern-specific trainings, newsroom sessions and direct feedback

• Understand how journalists actually work at one of the largest political newsrooms in the world, spot where technology can make a difference, and test ideas quickly enough to learn from them 

Internship details: 

• Dates: June-August 2027

• Pay: $23/hr 

• Schedule: Hybrid, full-time 40 hours/week 

• Location: Arlington, VA (HQ)

• Application deadline: Monday, October 26, 2026, 11:59pm ET 

Submission Materials: 

• Resume 

• Cover Letter 

• 3-5 original clips to showcase your experience. Please attach as links that are publicly accessible (no paywall) to finished products or codebases. Do not submit clips behind a paywall.

Please follow instructions carefully. All of the above materials must be uploaded to the Resume/CV section of the application to be considered for the position. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

We value our people. Click here for more on what we offer and what it’s like to work for POLITICO.

Let’s keep in touch. You can view our list of open positions here.

About Us.

POLITICO illuminates the forces shaping global power. Since 2007, we have delivered intelligence that anticipates tomorrow's headlines, not reports on yesterday's news. As politics has increasingly become the defining force of our era, our work has never been more vital.

Cabinet secretaries and Ministers start their mornings with our analysis. CEOs shape strategy around our reporting. Advocacy leaders rely on our insights to move policy. 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. At launch, we bet that depth would trump scale, that talent would trump traffic, and that politics would become central to modern life. In 2011, we made another bet and launched POLITICO Pro to help decision-makers understand the business of government, transforming both how they shape government action and the business of journalism itself.

These bets have made POLITICO the most successful digital news startup of its generation and the indispensable resource for leaders who shape the future. Today, we are a rarity in media: a growing, profitable, and sustainable news organization.

POLITICO is a subsidiary of Axel Springer SE, a family-owned transatlantic media company headquartered in Berlin and New York. Axel Springer is dedicated to shaping the future of journalism in the free world, believing that a free and informed society is essential to democracy. The company’s guiding principles - first articulated as  The Essentials by founder Axel Springer in the aftermath of World War II - remain a cornerstone of the company’s foundation today. Learn more about Axel Springer.

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