Editorial Graphics & Education Internship - Fall 2026

Editorial Graphics & Education Desk Internship - Fall 2026

Washington, District of Columbia, United States

A thriving, mission-driven multimedia organization, NPR produces award-winning news, information, and music programming in partnership with hundreds of independent public radio stations across the nation. The NPR audience values information, creativity, curiosity, and social responsibility – and our employees do too. We are innovators and leaders in diverse fields, from journalism and digital media to IT and development. Every day, our employees and member stations touch the lives of millions worldwide.

Across our organization, we're building a workplace where collaboration is essential, diverse voices are heard, and inclusion is the key to our success. We are committed to doing the right thing in our journalism and in every role at NPR. This means that integrity, adherence to our ethical standards, and compliance with legal obligations are fundamental responsibilities for every employee at NPR.

Internship Program Duration: October 5th, 2026 - April 16th, 2027

Application Instructions: Applications close on Sunday, June 21st at 11:59 pm ET.

Intro to Position

If you are passionate about education, culture, data and visual storytelling, this is the internship for you. This position could be a good fit for someone experienced with graphics and data analysis who wants to improve their reporting skills, or for a reporter with some graphics experience who wants to build stronger graphics/coding chops.

This internship consists of two parts. Each part will be hosted by a different team:

Editorial Graphics (October-January)

You will work on information graphics, data visualizations and special story presentations, working in close collaboration with reporters and editors in our newsroom. Work assignments will vary depending on team needs and news demands. The intern can expect to hone their data visualization, coding and data reporting skills with the team's mentorship. Our work this term will include coverage of the midterm elections.

Education (January-April)

The education team, part of NPR's Culture and Society desk, focuses on how learning happens, through radio stories, video posts and social media. During your rotation you will work with our 10-member team, pitching and researching stories, writing for NPR.org and the NPR Ed newsletter, helping correspondents line up interviews for their stories and helping the editorial team plan and strategize. You may even help the team launch the next phase of the NPR Student Podcast Challenge.

This is an NPR editorial role covered under the terms of the NPR Ethics Handbook. All editorial staff are bound by this guidance. Editorial staff is defined as staff members who play a role in shaping the journalistic or creative direction of NPR's content, including events.

Responsibilities

• Editorial Graphics
• Design/develop information graphics and data visualizations, in close collaboration with reporters, editors and creative technologists, on a variety of time scales (from short-turnaround requests to longer-term projects)
• Research, analyze and visualize data for reporting
• Education
• Design/develop information graphics and data visualizations, in close collaboration with reporters, editors and creative technologists, on a variety of time scales (from short-turnaround requests to longer-term projects)
• Report and writing digital and/or radio stories
• Assist team reporters and correspondents with research and reporting
• Other duties as assigned

The above duties and responsibilities are not an exhaustive list of required responsibilities, duties and skills. Other duties may be assigned, and this job description can be modified at any time.

Qualifications

• Must have excellent research and written/verbal communication skills
• Ability to work independently, quickly, and accurately
• Easy to work and collaborate with, even on tight deadlines
• Demonstrated interest in culture, society and education, and creative storytelling
• Audio production
• Previous experience in a newsroom (or similar) setting
• Interest in growth and willingness to respond to professional feedback
• Demonstrated experience making information graphics and data visualizations for the Web. Ideally, this includes experience with front-end web technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, D3) and designing responsively (from big desktop screens to mobile devices)
• Comfort with spreadsheets and data (Google Sheets, CSV, JSON, etc.). Data analysis and scripting (Python or similar) skills a plus

Application Requirements

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• Portfolio Link

Education Requirements

Must be a current student in an accredited degree program or a recent graduate of no more than 12 months from the month of the start of the internship.

Work Location & Requirements

This is a remote-permitted role. This role is based out of our Washington, D.C. office, but the employee may choose to work on a remote basis from a location that NPR approves. You will have the option of working (a) remotely from a location of your choosing within the United States that is supported by NPR; (b) on-site at an NPR facility, based on the availability of desks and approval from NPR; or (c) a combination of both. Regardless of where you choose to work from, you may be expected to travel to other locations from time to time to perform the duties of your position.

Job Type

This is a full-time, non-exempt internship.

Schedule

This is a 40-hour-a-week job, typically 9am-5pm ET Monday-Friday (with occasional variation depending on news and production needs). We may be able to offer some flexibility based on your time zone and school schedule.

Compensation

Hourly Rate The U.S.-based anticipated hourly rate for this opportunity is $20.00 per hour. The range displayed reflects the minimum and maximum hourly rate NPR expects to provide for new hires for the position across all US locations.

NPR Benefits: NPR offers interns a robust package of benefits and resources designed to foster their professional development and support their overall well-being. Interns are eligible to make elective contributions to the NPR 403(b) retirement plan. As an intern, you have access to Transit Commuter benefits through HealthEquity, which allow you to set aside pre tax funds for eligible commuting expenses. You are also eligible for membership with the Signal Financial Federal Credit Union, giving you access to a range of financial services and resources. At our DC Headquarters, interns enjoy free access to on-site Wellness Center, free fitness center membership, secure bike facilities, garage parking, and onsite cafeteria. Other benefits include the Employee Assistance Program with up to six face-to-face counseling sessions per issue, Global Guardian worldwide assistance, and Business Travel Accident coverage. Additionally, interns working 30 or more hours per week receive holiday pay for 10 observed holidays plus one floating holiday per year and accrue 3.08 hours of sick leave each pay period with no waiting period. NPR also supports career growth and work-life balance through professional development opportunities, flexible work hours, and telecommuting options.

Does this sound like you? If so, we want to hear from you.

#LI-Remote

The range displayed reflects the minimum and maximum salaries NPR expects to provide for new hires for the position across all US locations.

NPR Pay Range

$20 - $20 USD

NPR is an Equal Opportunity Employer. NPR is committed to being an inclusive workplace that welcomes diverse and unique perspectives, all working toward the same goal – to create a more informed public. Qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, age, religion, religious belief, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, lactation, and reproductive health decisions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, transgender status, gender non-conforming status, intersex status, sexual stereotypes, nationality, citizenship status, personal appearance, marital status, family status, family responsibilities, military status, veteran status, mental and physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, genetic characteristics of yourself or a family member, political views and affiliation, unemployment status, protective order status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, or any other basis prohibited under applicable law.