Summer 2027 Bartley Fellowship - Arts Criticism Internship

Summer 2027 Bartley Fellowship - Arts Criticism Internship

The Wall Street Journal's Arts in Review section is seeking aspiring journalists—juniors, seniors or recent graduates (within one year of graduation) with a strong editing background at their school newspapers or elsewhere—for a 10‑week paid summer internship. The in‑person internship is an opportunity to get hands‑on experience working alongside some of the best opinion writers and editors in the world. The internship—formally the Bartley Fellowship—honors the Journal’s former Opinion editor, Robert L. Bartley.

Opportunities will be awarded to individuals interested in the arts who intend to pursue a career in journalism or cultural criticism. The Arts intern is one of several fellows selected each year through an application process that is overseen by senior editors. Bartley Fellows are assigned to a department within the Opinion section—Arts in Review; Books; or Features (Op‑Eds and Columns).

The fellow will assist in producing Arts in Review’s content for the print and digital editions of the Journal—editing, fact‑checking, liaising with writers, writing display copy, proofing, contributing to social media and digital production. Though this is not a writing fellowship, the Bartley fellow will be encouraged to produce a Masterpiece column, of which more below. They may also pitch articles or projects to editors elsewhere in the Opinion section. Internships are paid, and generally take place during June, July and August, though start dates can be flexible.

About Arts in Review

Arts criticism is recognized at the Journal as an Editorial Page function, and as such operates under the umbrella of the Opinion section. Like the rest of the Opinion section, in our Arts reviews we believe in rendering clear, independent judgments that are as well argued as they are deeply informed. In its Arts reviews, the Journal covers the full spectrum, from high art to TV, movies, theater and the many forms of popular music. Our approach is strictly art‑for‑art’s‑sake: We review things because they are intrinsically interesting, not to fulfill a quota or make a political statement. We believe in the past and its traditions, but are keenly interested in the new—not in novelty for its own sake but in the ways those traditions are being extended and new ones invented. And we prize above all a lively, lucid prose style free from jargon of all kinds.

Guidelines and Application Deadline

Though a reporting and/or writing background is a plus, the fellowship is primarily an editing internship. Therefore applicants should have experience editing arts or arts‑related copy for their college newspaper, literary magazine, or a comparable publication.

Students from any discipline may apply, but preference will be granted to those concentrating in literature, history, a foreign language, classics, pre‑law, music, theater, art history, studio art, architecture, philosophy, political science or archaeology—via coursework (though not necessarily a major) or sustained leisure‑time activity. An appreciation for both the Western and non‑Western canons is desirable, as is an understanding of current issues in the arts. A demonstrated ability to multitask and meet daily deadlines is critical for success, as is attention to detail and a focus on accuracy. Applicants should be familiar with technology as it relates to journalism. Social media experience with a publication or brand would be a plus. Applicants will be expected to demonstrate familiarity with our section’s content (student applicants without campus‑wide access to the WSJ can purchase discounted subscriptions at

About Bob Bartley

Throughout his 30 years as The Wall Street Journal’s Editorial Page Editor, Bob Bartley inspired principled and original thinking that changed and shaped the society in which we live. He also devoted attention to teaching and motivating talented young people, many of whom have gone on to careers in journalism at the Journal and elsewhere. The Bartley Fellowships are consistent with that legacy.

Bob Bartley achieved many honors during his long tenure here, including a Pulitzer Prize and, shortly before his death in December 2003, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In awarding that medal, President George W. Bush cited Bob as "one of the most influential journalists in American history." The Robert L. Bartley Fellowships will help to perpetuate not only Bob’s memory but, above all, the principles and priorities to which he devoted his distinguished career.

About the Opinion Section

Following the American newspaper practice, the heads of News and Editorial report independently to the publisher of the Journal and CEO of Dow Jones, Almar Latour. The Editorial staff is responsible for the Opinion content published on WSJ.com, the editorial and op‑ed pages of The Wall Street Journal in print, and criticism of books and the arts, which are recognized at the Journal as an Opinion function.

While The Wall Street Journal’s news pages are committed to informing our readers, our editorials are dedicated to advocating a consistent philosophy and positions that emanate from it. That philosophy can be summed up as "free markets, free people." We have stood for these fundamental principles even in times—and places—when they were not considered fashionable. While specific issues differ in various worlds, we view those issues through a consistent lens everywhere; for example, while protectionism is more popular in some parts of the world than others, our publications around the world are committed uncompromisingly to free trade. We believe in the individual, in his wisdom and his decency. We oppose all infringements on individual rights, whether they stem from attempts at private monopoly, labor union monopoly or from an overgrowing government.

We do not endorse political candidates and are not partisan. We are not pigeonholed. We resist the label "conservative," in the sense of preserving the status quo, because we think it too confining, too devoid of optimism. We make an argument for a point of view and hope to raise and sharpen the level of debate.

Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

Reasonable Accommodation

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities in our job application and/or interview process. If you need assistance or accommodation in completing your application or participating in an interview due to a disability, email us at View email address on click.appcast.io. Please put "Reasonable Accommodation" in the subject line and provide a brief description of the type of assistance you need. This inbox will not be monitored for application status updates. Please refer to the privacy notice at the bottom of this page for submitting any data access, deletion, or other data subject rights requests, where permitted under your local laws and regulations.

Business Area: Dow Jones - Editorial

Job Category: Administration, Facilities & Secretarial

Union Status: Non-Union role

Base Pay Range: 25.00/hr - 25.00/hr

We’re committed to offering competitive and flexible compensation to attract top talent. This pay range reflects our good faith estimate for the role and may vary based on a candidate’s experience, skills, location, and other relevant factors. For bonus-eligible roles, targets are determined based on multiple considerations, including market benchmarks and individual contributions. For benefits-eligible roles, we offer a comprehensive and competitive benefits package covering health, retirement, wellbeing, and more, along with optional benefits to meet the diverse needs of our employees.

Dow Jones is a global provider of news and business information, delivering content to consumers and organizations around the world across multiple formats, including print, digital, mobile and live events. Dow Jones has produced unrivaled quality content for more than 130 years and today has one of the world’s largest newsgathering operations globally. It is home to leading publications and products including the flagship Wall Street Journal, America’s largest newspaper by paid circulation; Barron’s, MarketWatch, Mansion Global, Financial News, Dow Jones Risk & Compliance and Dow Jones Newswires.

Dow Jones is a division of News Corp (Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV). If you are a current employee in Workday, please navigate to the Jobs Hub and select Browse Jobs to apply internally.