High Country News: Internships & Fellowship

High Country News: Internships & Fellowship available

High Country News is looking for informed and enthusiastic editorial interns and fellows to report on issues of impact for the Western United States. From its cities and suburbs, to rural and natural spaces, we cover the West through in-depth, inclusive and insightful journalism.

Want to join our award-winning editorial team? Every year, High Country News offers four to six internship positions, each six months long, starting in July and January. We also offer a fellowship, between six months and one year. We provide a $300-per-week stipend for interns and a $520-per-week stipend for fellows. We also provide housing and other support, including the opportunity in some cases to work remotely from within the Western United States.

Our interns and fellows are a key part of the HCN team, developing, reporting and writing stories that matter. As we continue to broaden our coverage of the West, we encourage journalists from BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities to apply, to help us tell a more complex, complete story of the West.

Our interns and fellows go on to become leaders in journalism and public life. They pursue careers as reporters, editors, educators, lawyers, policymakers and freelance writers. Above all, they learn to report with depth and nuance on the issues of critical importance to the American West and the national conversation.

The internship requires established reporting and writing skills and an interest in covering the modern West. The fellowship requires a sophisticated understanding of Western issues and the ability to write to these issues in depth. 

Upcoming start dates and application deadlines are as follows. Applications must be received in our office by the deadline date.

Winter/Spring

Starts mid-January
Ends mid-June
(Applications must be received by Nov. 1)

Summer/Fall

Starts mid-July
Ends mid-December
(Applications must be received by March 15)

Applicants should send an email with attached cover letter, résumé, contact information for three references (phone and email), and three writing samples (plus multimedia samples, if applicable) to Associate Editor Paige Blankenbuehler: paigeb@hcn.org. Please be sure to include “internship application” or “fellowship application” in the subject line.

If emailing an application is not an option, candidates may also mail their materials to:

Western Colorado University/ ATTN High Country News
Gretchen King
Kelley Hall
600 N. Adams Street
Gunnison, CO 81231

Please email paigeb@hcn.org for further information.